Twas the Night Before Christmas
by grlnxtdr29
Summary: Twas the Night Before Christmas, and all through the fandom, ten authors were writing themes chosen at random! Ten of my favorite Authors on this site have accepted my challenge to write Klaine stories for our Christmas Eve Delight!
1. Twas the Night Before Christmas

**Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the fandom, several authors were working on themes chosen at random!**

 **Ten of my favorite authors took my challenge to write Christmas Eve stories about our favorite boys! I gave each of them randomly chosen themes for their stories, and I am excited to post them here for you all to enjoy! They may also post these stories separately, if they choose.**

 **Thank you to;**

 **SenseiGrace, whose theme was Wrapping Paper**

 **Gleeful Darren Criss Fan, whose themes were Toy Trains and Mistletoe**

 **VoyageAsia, whose themes were Rocking Horse and Ornaments/Tinsel**

 **lilyvandersteen, whose themes were Santa's Sleigh and Strays**

 **BeautifulUnseen, whose themes were Angels Among Us and Charity/Giving**

 **Awela, whose themes were White Christmas and Christmas Trees**

 **kellyb321, whose themes were Silent Night and Holiday Disasters**

 **WildHurricane, whose themes were First Christmas and Families**

 **Kittenamos, whose themes were Burnt Cookies and Tree Toppers**

 **And Brighteyes421, who is writing her very first story just for this challenge! Her themes were Stocking Stuffers and Last Minute Shopping.**

 **Thank you to all the writers who entertain us, and to all the readers who encourage us to write!**

 **Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Goodnight!**


	2. The Angel Tree

**The Angel Tree**

Talk to someone new.

Kurt thought about his and his dad's December challenge as he knocked the snow off his boots on the scratchy rug just inside McKinley's main entrance. The challenges had started two years ago as a New Year's resolution, and turned into one of Kurt's favorite traditions with his father. On the first of every month, they randomly selected an activity that would push them to try new things and better themselves. This month, he was to talk to someone he'd never gotten to know before.

It would be easy enough to strike up a conversation with a stranger at work, but his dad probably wouldn't let him consider a brief chat with a patron at the library as fulfilling the challenge. Plus, Kurt didn't like to cut corners. But who could he talk to that he didn't already know that was worth knowing? Most kids at McKinley were useless cretins.

Two inches of snow had unexpectedly fallen overnight, and Kurt was running late to school because he hadn't allowed himself enough time to brush off his car. He walked through the door to History just as the final bell rang, snowflakes still glistening in his perfectly swept hair. Mercedes smiled at him when he slid into the desk next to her and squeezed her arm in a silent hello.

Christmas was still two weeks away, but the spirit was in the air and the students were antsy and finding it difficult to attend to classes.

"Good morning," greeted Mrs. Rowe cheerily. "First things first, I'd like to point out the growing pile of donations we've collected so far for our adopted family. If you haven't yet brought in anything, I encourage you to do so."

One of the boneheaded jocks in the back scoffed.

"Why would I give up my hard earned money to give to a poor ass family? A couple of gift cards and some food aren't going to stop them from wearing shitty off-brand clothes and smelling like a stray dog. Right, Anderson?" he threw an evil look over his shoulder to a dark haired boy in the corner who blushed a brilliant red and sank down in his chair.

The teacher scolded the jock and went on about how he was now the inspiration for their new assignment, a project on poverty in America.

Kurt had difficulty turning his eyes away from Blaine, the boy who the jock had embarrassed. They'd never spoken, but Kurt knew from sharing multiple classes with him that Blaine was a sweet, quiet kid who mostly kept to himself. The other kids made fun of him with regularity, but it wasn't malicious like it had been to Kurt his freshman and sophomore years. Kurt had noticed Blaine, but had never taken the time to really look at him. He hadn't realized that Blaine was good looking. Painfully, unassumingly attractive. He absently wondered if Blaine was gay, but quashed that thought, because if he was, the idiots at their school would never leave him alone.

"Kurt?" Mercedes was calling to him.

"Sorry, what?" He blinked at her, realizing that the class had broken into a chatter and had begun to move about.

"Mrs. Rowe said to find a partner to start brainstorming ideas for the poverty project."

"Oh," he said. He and Mercedes always partnered up for the class.

Talk to someone new.

Kurt's eyes wandered back to Blaine's corner where he sat quietly, waiting to be approached by a potential partner and looking quite invisible.

"I think I'm going to work with Blaine," he told his best friend.

She gave him a weird look, but shrugged and turned to the girl on her other side instead.

Kurt walked purposefully to where Blaine sat, but still, Blaine looked like he expected Kurt to keep going. Kurt wasn't the epitome of popularity by any means, but he had all of his glee club friends. His heart went out to Blaine, whom he'd only ever seen talking to one kid before. It must be so lonely.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked, drawing his attention. The boy looked a little disoriented at being spoken to. Close up, Kurt could see that Blaine's yellow polo shirt was worn and his jeans were fraying at the hems, and that his unruly curls were trying, but failing to stay in place. He could see the swirl of colors in Blaine's hazel eyes and the sharp, strong cut of his jaw with just a hint of teenage stubble. How had Kurt never really seen him before? "Would you work with me on this project?"

A flash of surprise crossed Blaine's face before he carefully controlled his expression. Kurt could tell he was evaluating him to see if it was some kind of joke, but he must have found he sincerity he was looking for, because he nodded.

"Sorry if it seems a little random that I'd ask to work with you. I'm supposed to be getting to know someone new, and I really want that person to be you."

Blaine blushed to the neck, clearly surprised but maybe secretly pleased that Kurt even knew who he was. "You do?"

Kurt smiled and nodded, pulling out his notebook. "So, do you have any ideas for the project?"

"Actually, I do…"

Blaine was shy, but Kurt found it so endearing, He was extremely smart, too, and it was fascinating to listen to his honey voice explain his thoughts.

By the end of the period, they had a good start on the project, and had agreed to work on it more in their study hall that afternoon.

"Kurt?" Mercedes asked, shaking his shoulder lightly. Kurt looked around and noticed they were the only two left in the room. Everyone, including Blaine, had cleared out while he stared.

"Sorry, lets go to lunch."

"Yeah...I see why you wanted to be his partner." She wiggled her eyebrows at him.

"Oh, shut up."

"Hey, Blaine!" Kurt said, sliding into the seat next to him later that day.

"Hi. That's a really nice coat. Where did you find one? I heard they were supposed to be really expensive." Blaine bit his lip and looked down, as if he hadn't meant to say so much.

"Oh, this?" Kurt thrilled inside. Maybe Blaine was gay if he knew a designer coat when he saw one. "This is my luckiest find of my life. It was in a thrift store for twenty dollars. Someone must have donated it as soon as it was out of season."

Blaine's posture immediately straightened at the idea that Kurt shopped in thrift stores.

"I make most of my clothes myself," he continued. "But sometimes I find gems like this. Sorry. I'm rambling on about clothes and you probably couldn't care less."

Blaine smiled for the first time and it went straight to Kurt's heart. Smiling looked good on him.

"Oh, thanks," Blaine said in a choked, shocked voice. His face was scarlet, and oh, shit.

"Did I say that aloud? Forget I said anything. I swear I didn't ask to be your partner to hit on you and make you uncomfortable."

Blaine just chuckled. "I do care about clothes, by the way." He went quiet for a moment. "I know it doesn't seem that way from what I wear…"

"No, I can tell. I don't know many guys who could compliment the accents of that bow tie so well."

"Hummel, what are you doing with Anderson?" asked Rick the Stick, rounding on their desks. "His poorness might rub off on you. That's almost as bad as your gayness."

"He's working with me on a project," Blaine mumbled quietly, looking at his lap.

"We're friends, you uncultured swine," Kurt rebutted. "But you wouldn't know about that, since you don't have friends, only lackeys. Now go to practice and take a puck to the face."

When Rick walked away defeated, Kurt turned back to Blaine, who was looking more confident and had a laugh in his eyes.

Yeah, Blaine had been the right person to pick for the challenge.

"How's it going?"

"Great, Dad. There's a sweet boy from school who's normally really quiet and I asked to be his partner for class. But I can tell we're going to be friends, too. How is it going for you?"

"Good."

"That's just cryptic enough for me to want to pry. Who is it?"

"It's a lady."

Kurt raised his eyebrow. "A lady as in a lady?"

"Maybe."

Kurt tilted his head to the side, urging his father to elaborate.

"I hope so," Burt grumbled in embarrassment.

"Yes!" Kurt cheered.

"Hey now, maybe there will be two of us with dates at the end of this."

Kurt's cheeks flushed. "I hope so."

Kurt was working at the library the first time he saw Blaine without a planned meeting.

Blaine approached him at the front desk, a hesitant smile on his face.

"Hi. You come here to study a lot, don't you?"

"You've seen me?" Blaine sounded surprised.

"Of course. You always sit there," he pointed to a table in the corner. "The girls may or may not call it the 'cute boy table'."

Blaine coughed to hide the choking noise he made.

"So, um...What are you working on?"

"Oh this?" Kurt held up a sheet of notebook paper, completely covered in his scrawl. "It's my Christmas list."

Blaine's eyes widened. "Your family will get you all of that for Christmas?"

"No, of course not," Kurt laughed. "It's just my dad and me, and he saves up all year to be able to buy me one or two things off my list. I can't help that I have expensive tastes. I need to give him options."

Blaine chuckled, suddenly less tense. "You're ridiculous," he said fondly.

A patron came up behind Blaine, so he excused himself so Kurt could continue working.

While he worked, he admired the library's angel tree, which he had finished decorating earlier in the week. It was now ready for people to peruse to find the perfect family to adopt for the holidays.

Kurt also kept sneaking glances at Blaine, who was doing homework at his usual table. The more he got to know the quiet, guarded boy, the harder it was to believe he didn't have any friends.

Blaine was witty and funny and intelligent, and Kurt wanted to spend as much time with him as possible.

An hour later, Blaine packed his things away, stood, then eyes darting around, took a few steps over to the angel tree. He picked up a bell-shaped tag and turned it over. With a carefully controlled expression, he set it back on the branch and walked away, toward Kurt.

"See you tomorrow in school."

"See you," Kurt responded. For the first time in a long time, he looked forward to going to school.

The after school routine was the same every day. Blaine came in, chatted with Kurt, then went to his table to study. And every day before he left, he checked the same tag on the increasingly bare angel tree, looking more and more disappointed each day.

By the end of the week, Kurt's curiosity got the best of him, and after Blaine left, he went to read the tag Blaine always checked.

Mom, Dad, Boy (16)

"Oh my god," Kurt whispered. It suddenly made sense. Blaine's guardedness, the taunting at school, his obsession with the tag.

Kurt all but ripped the tag off the tree and ran home.

"Dad!" he called once inside the house. "Dad!"

"What's wrong?" An alarmed Burt peeked out of the living room.

"Throw away my Christmas list," he demanded, out of breath.

"Why? Did you realize that something you wanted was out of season?" Burt teased.

Kurt held out his palm with the angel tree tag inside.

"It's Blaine's family. I don't want anything this year. I want to adopt them instead."

Burt's eyes filled with pride. "Done."

On Monday, Blaine went to check for his tag on the tree and couldn't find it in its usual place. His eyebrows knit together as he searched for it, but when he had checked all those that remained and not found it, he straightened out with a small, grateful smile.

Kurt's smile was bigger.

"What is your family doing for the holidays?" Kurt asked Blaine, whom he'd found sitting alone at lunch and had decided to accompany. They had forged a tight friendship over the past week and a half. Kurt wasn't sure about Blaine, but he felt he'd finally found someone he could truly be himself with, even more so than with Mercedes.

Blaine looked up, slightly surprised that someone was sitting with him. He gave Kurt a wide grin, then went back to absently picking at his school lunch. "We're not really in a position to do anything special. My mom is sick, and we don't have the means to travel. We will probably just spend time together. My brother might come in from California, and my dad and I will definitely watch the Buckeyes play in their bowl game. But thats all."

"That sounds nice and relaxing." Kurt frowned, afraid to ask his next question. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but what happened to your family that put you in such a tough place?"

Blaine no longer hesitated before opening up to Kurt as he once had. "A series of unfortunate events, really. And no, I don't mean the book series." Kurt laughed at the cheesy joke. "A couple years ago I was in the hospital, and the bills stacked up. Then a few months later, we lost everything in a house fire. And now, just in October, my mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer."

"Oh wow, you weren't kidding. I'm sorry you've had to go through all of that."

Blaine shrugged, throwing down the remainder of his turkey sandwich.

"If you don't mind me asking, why were you in the hospital?" Kurt's voice was soft and curious, and Blaine's eyes lifted, the ghost of traumatic memories floating there.

"I was bullied at my old school, and one day it got out of control and I was beat up after a school dance."

Kurt tensed his arm to keep from reaching out to grab Blaine's hand. Instead, he leaned his body in slightly so their shoulders were touching. He hoped it was comforting. "Why would anyone do that to you?"

Blaine's laugh was humorless. "Why do those jerks throw slushies at you and throw you into dumpsters?"

Kurt's head whipped to the side to stare at his new friend. "Wait, you're…?"

"Gay? Yep. You really didn't know? You thought I just blushed every time you made a comment that could be construed as flirty for no reason?" Blaine threw a teasing smile at Kurt, who looked amazed and relieved.

"I mean I thought, but I wasn't sure. Nobody at school knows."

"Excuse me if I'm not eager to have a repeat of past events." Blaine's comment came out softer than he intended.

"That's not what I—I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to pass judgment." This time Kurt did grab Blaine's hand under the table. It grasped back tightly.

"No, I know you weren't. And I'm not really trying to hide my sexuality, I just haven't had a reason to reveal it at McKinley."

"So if you were to have...a reason, you wouldn't have a problem being out?"

Blaine's blush matched Kurt's. "Not at all."

"You come here every day after school," Kurt said, joining Blaine at his regular table in the library.

"Yes," Blaine confirmed absently. They'd already covered the topic.

"There aren't any extracurriculars you're involved in?"

Blaine frowned. "I have to study hard to get a full scholarship to a good college."

"So there's nothing you're interested in?" Kurt pushed.

"Leave it, Kurt," Blaine said shortly. He'd never been so snappy with Kurt in their short friendship.

Kurt sat back in his chair in surprise, observing Blaine's body language, watching as he went from rigid and angry to looser and more open. Eventually he looked up at Kurt apologetically.

"I'm sorry. It's a sensitive subject."

"Don't apologize. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

"Maybe that's exactly why I do." Blaine appraised Kurt like he was understanding something for the first time. "I used to play piano and sing, and I boxed. But all of my things were lost in the fire, so that was the end of it."

"Oh." Kurt looked thoughtful. "I have a piano at home. Would you play for me sometime?"

Blaine smiled sadly. "I'm not sure if I could."

"Okay, then maybe I can sing for you," he offered, putting joy back on Blaine's face.

"That would be lovely."

Kurt closed the library's back door behind his father and stood back to take in the collection of gifts they'd purchased for the Andersons. Between Kurt chipping in from his savings account and Burt using Kurt's Christmas money, they'd been able to afford more than they'd expected. It brought tears to their eyes.

"It's going to make their holiday very happy," Burt said, clapping Kurt's shoulder.

"I just hope they like it."

"I guarantee they've never had a more thoughtful, generous gift. You know...I've never told you this, but the Christmas after your mother passed, the garage was struggling, and I didn't know if I'd be able to give you the holiday you deserved. A few people from the community came together to help out, and I've never been more grateful. It's hard at first to accept help, but when you open yourself up to the kindness of others, the things you can do together are endless."

"So it's kind of full circle?"

"Exactly."

Kurt was bouncing up and down in his seat all day at school. It was the last day before break, and his and Burt's angel tree gift was supposed to be delivered just before Blaine got home from school.

Kurt had come up with an excuse to go home with Blaine so he could see his reaction, and he could hardly wait.

The second the bell rang signaling the end of the day, he walked so quickly to Blaine's locker that they nearly collided.

"Whoa, there," Blaine laughed.

"Sorry, just excited to get home and start my holiday traditions with Dad. Is it still okay if I come grab my sweater from your house first?"

Blaine nodded. He followed Kurt out to his car, chattering excitedly all the way.

He gave directions to Kurt as he drove, and when their hands brushed in the space between their seats, Blaine boldly held on and refused to let go, much to Kurt's joy.

Blaine's parents were both home, since his mom had a chemotherapy session earlier that morning, and she was in tears.

Blaine rushed over to the living room and hugged his mom. "Mama, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"Nothing is wrong," she said shakily. "Look, Blaine."

Blaine turned his head to the pile of gifts in the middle of the room that he had somehow missed.

His mouth fell open as he stumbled toward them. A punching bag and new gloves. A keyboard and sheet music book. A set of tickets to the OSU bowl game. A gift certificate to a nearby spa, and many smaller items.

"A true angel found our family on the tree, baby," she whispered.

Only one person could have done this.

Blaine's heart tugged toward Kurt, but when he turned around, tears glistening in his eyes, the angel was gone.

The day after Christmas, Kurt finally reached out to Blaine after not hearing from him for days. They agreed to meet up at Kurt's house.

"Blaine!" Kurt hugged him excitedly.

"It's only been a few days, you weirdo," Blaine teased, but he hugged back harder.

"How was your Christmas?" Kurt asked, pulling him into the kitchen for hot cocoa.

"It was beyond belief." Blaine's voice was quiet. He caught Kurt's hand and squeezed. "Thank you, Kurt."

"I have no idea what you mean," he said, but his lips quirked up at the corners. "Nobody deserved it more."

Blaine hugged him once again.

"The angel tree gifts were amazing, but the best present of all is your friendship."

"I guess we actually have my dad to thank for that," Kurt laughed.

"Speaking of your dad, did he get you the boots you wanted?" Blaine asked, taking a sip of his cocoa.

"Uh…" Kurt toyed with the end of his scarf. "No. Not this year."

Blaine quickly realized what Kurt meant.

"You gave them up? For me?"

"I didn't give up anything. I gained so much more than boots could ever give me."

Blaine grabbed his face and pulled him in close.

"What are you doing?" Kurt's voice was breathless.

"You didn't have much, but you gave it to me. I have nothing, but I want to share it with you."

Blaine leaned in and kissed Kurt softly on the lips, with a sharp intake of breath. Kurt's arms wound around Blaine's shoulders to keep him in place. He never wanted to stop kissing him.

When they broke apart, Kurt shook his head with a smile.

"It's not nothing. It's better than any gift I could have asked for. Merry Christmas, Blaine."


	3. Rocking Horse Ranch

Rocking Horse Ranch

By VoyageAsia

Kurt rations his grande non-fat mocha to last the full hour-and-a-half train journey from Penn Station to Poughkeepsie, New York. Last night, he finished his last performance in The Jersey Boys, and after a year of performing eight times a week, this break is well-deserved. When his father suggested that they take a family holiday together, he was totally on board. It had been ages since he had spent quality time with his father, Carole, Finn, Rachel, and their children. He certainly wouldn't have picked the Rocking Horse Ranch for a holiday on his own, but the resort seems to have something for everyone.

When his phone rings, Kurt answers. "Hi, Dad. I'm almost at Poughkeepsie."

"That's great. We are just sitting down for breakfast. When you arrive, come join us. There is loads to do here, and we don't want to miss a thing."

Last weekend, Kurt had a look online at the facilities of the all-inclusive resort. There are certainly a lot of outdoor and indoor sports activities along with evening entertainment. He only hopes that they won't be forever jumping from one activity to the next and that he will be able to find some time to relax, as well.

When the train stops at the Poughkeepsie station in the Hudson River Valley, Kurt disembarks with his two large suitcases. He immediately spots an older man with a huge mustache, wearing jeans, a red flannel shirt, a waxed cotton down vest, cowboy boots and hat. He doesn't need to be holding up the Rocking Horse Ranch sign for Kurt to know where he works.

The hotel rep smiles and shakes his hand. "You must be Kurt Hummel."

When Kurt nods, he continues, "I'm Bob. I'm like the deputy at the ranch, in charge of getting you settled in."

Kurt is surprised that Deputy Bob isn't wearing a five-star badge. When he raises the suitcases' telescopic handles, Bob intervenes.

"Let me take those bags for you. It'll take about ten minutes to drive to the ranch. Burt asked me to tell you to meet them in the dining room."

They settle quickly in the four-wheel drive Jeep, and they are soon on their way. The scenery quickly changes as they leave the town and head to a dense forest of pine trees and evergreens. After passing over a picturesque wooden bridge, Kurt spots the sign for the Rocking Horse Ranch, with a wreath hanging from the top left-hand corner. As the Jeep approaches the sprawling rustic ranch, several chimney stacks billowing smoke from the fireplaces come into view. He can see the horse barn, the lift for the ski slope and snow tubing, the ice skating rink, and other activities. The property is well-landscaped , and it looks pretty easy to get from one place on the property to another.

When they arrive at the front entrance, there are staff at hand to take Kurt's suitcases. A friendly woman greets him. "Welcome, Kurt. I'm Shelley Turk, co-owner of the ranch. Here's your room key, but I'll take you to the dining room first. Burt said that he wanted to see you as soon as you arrived."

Kurt wonders how many staff already know his father, especially since he only arrived yesterday at dinner time. When Kurt enters the ranch, there is an enormous wood-panelled lobby filled with comfy-looking sofas, and several fireplaces warm the area. There are areas for larger groups and little nooks that accommodate one or two people. On one side, there are floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to the ski slope. It's filled with rustic decor, including a large wooden rocking horse and an eight-feet tall nutcracker soldier. There is an gigantic Christmas tree with Western-themed ornaments, silver tinsel, and candy canes hanging on its branches. The area smells divine with soy candles burning brightly throughout the space. The candles have wooden wicks, so they make a crackling sound to resemble a fireplace. This is far nicer than Kurt had expected.

As they walk towards the dining room, Kurt remarks, "I made arrangements for my Internet orders to be sent directly here. I hope you've received them."

"Yes, we did receive a lot of packages for you this week. Your family is going to be very lucky on Christmas Day. They have already been sent up to your room."

Kurt can't fault the efficiency of the ranch so far. He has a good feeling about this holiday. Maybe there really is something for everyone here.

When they arrive at the Longhorn Dining Hall, Shelly says, "This is where all the meals are eaten. Breakfast and lunch are served as a buffet, and dinner is a sit-down affair. If there is anything you need, just let me know."

"Hey, kiddo!"

Kurt looks up to see his father waving. After thanking Shelly, he walks over to the table and embraces his father. When big strong hands wrap around him, Kurt feels as if he is home. Although the family came to New York City to see him in The Jersey Boys in July, the last time that they've spent any real time together was the previous Christmas, back in Lima. It feels far too long, and Kurt is grateful for this holiday.

"Burt, honey, let us all have a turn," Carole reprimands her husband.

"Carole, I love your new hairstyle and color. You look at least ten years younger," Kurt remarks.

Carole pulls him into a hug. "You're not the only one who likes makeovers. I understand that there is a spa here. We'll have to check it out."

Rachel jumps up and claps her hands in glee. "I'm so excited that you are here. I've already planned our duet for karaoke tomorrow night."

Kurt bends down to give his long-time friend a kiss on the cheek. After short-lived Broadway and TV careers, Rachel returned to Lima to marry Finn. She is now the music director at McKinley High.

"Uncle Kurt! You haven't said hello to me yet," six-year-old Barbra pouts.

Kurt gives his niece a hug before giving his four-year-old nephew Archie a fist bump.

Finn stands up, puts an arm around Kurt's shoulders, and pulls him close. "Good to see you, bro. Let me show you the breakfast buffet. I'm going up for seconds."

Kurt follows Finn and examines the breakfast buffet - there is enough food to feed an army. He pours himself an orange juice, quickly orders a Western omelet, and allows himself the treat of an iced cinnamon roll. He's on holiday, after all.

When he returns to the table, the adults are studying the schedule of the day's activities.

"You promised I could learn to ski today," Barbra whines.

Finn rubs her back. "Don't worry, munchkin, we're going skiing this morning. Uncle Kurt will join us, won't you?"

When Kurt sees the pleading looks on the Berry-Hudson family's faces, he can't refuse the offer.

"I've never tried skiing before, but I'll give it my best shot. How about you, Dad?"

Burt shakes his head. "Nope, Grandma and I are too old for skiing."

"Says who?" Archie asks.

"Says me," Burt replies. "Grandma and I are going to Bingo after breakfast, and then we'll watch you ski from the bottom of the slope. I'll have my camera to take photos, and Grandma will take a video using her phone."

After they've finished breakfast, everyone returns to the room to dress warmly for the day. Kurt opens the door to discover a very spacious room with a king-sized rustic bed, sitting area, and ensuite bathroom. There is even a potbelly, wood-burning stove in the corner. As promised, there are boxes from his Internet shopping stacked on one side of the room. Kurt hopes that he brought enough Christmas paper and ribbon with him to wrap all the gifts. Kurt opens his suitcases and quickly changes into his winter ski outfit. The one good thing about this holiday is that it has given him the opportunity to expand his wardrobe with ski jackets, pants, hats, scarves, and the like.

He meets everyone at the bottom of the ski slope, and the staff quickly sort them out with short skis and helmets. Rachel and Barbra look cute in matching orange ski pants and light-blue jackets with yellow stars. Finn and Archie are both wearing black ski pants with royal blue parkas.

A staff member hands over a set of skis to Kurt. "Don't worry if you have never skied before. This area of the mountain has a long gradual decline, which is perfect for beginners. When you get to the top of the hill, there are instructors waiting to teach you."

Kurt follows the others to the magic carpet ride, which looks like a long conveyor belt. It's quite simple to step on with the short skis and let it move him up the slope. When he reaches the top, he notices that snow tubers are to the left, and skiers are to the right.

There are several skiers wearing an "instructor" bib. "I want that one!" Archie shouts, pointing his arm.

Kurt looks over to see a man wearing a brightly colored one-piece ski suit . The top half is predominantly deep sky blue while the bottom half is predominantly red, and there are bright stripes of colors, including gold. He's wearing a matching striped headband that pushes up deep brown curls, and yellow rimmed sunglasses complete the look. There is no way they'll lose sight of this guy on the slope. He's short, but Kurt can tell that he has an athlete's body.

When Archie and Barbra wave their arms, the ski instructor comes over. "Who wants to learn to ski?"

"I do! I do!" Archie and Barbra shout.

"My name is Blaine, and I'll teach you how. It's easy, peasy, lemon squeezy."

"Can you teach my Uncle Kurt, too?" Archie asks.

Blaine looks at Kurt for the first time and smiles. "By the time I've finished with Uncle Kurt, he'll be winning all the competitions," he jokes with a wink.

Did he just wink? Is the ski instructor flirting with him? Is he even gay? Kurt doesn't know what to make of the ski instructor, but he realizes that Blaine has started the lesson, and Rachel and Finn are standing nearby holding their phones out to take photos and videos. He better pay attention.

"When you're a beginner, the most important thing is to be in control at all times. If you want to walk across the snow, you need to place your skis in a V-position and waddle like a duck."

Kurt, Barbra and Archie imitate Blaine, and as they walk across the top of the hill, Blaine starts to sing:

 _ **Four little ducks went out one day,**_

 _ **Over the hill and far away.**_

 _ **Mother duck, said, "Quack, Quack, Quack**_

 _ **But only three little ducks came back.**_

When they come to a complete stop, Archie asks, "Blaine, what happened to the other duck?"

"He didn't listen to his ski instructor and has probably drifted off the slope. It's important to pay attention. Now, the next thing we're going to do is put the tips of the skis together to form a pizza wedge," Blaine instructs and then demonstrates.

When everyone has their skis in the correct position, Blaine continues, "You are going to follow me down the slope, but before we ski, you'll need to know how to turn. If we are turning to the left, you need to bend to your left side, and swing the right ski around."

Blaine demonstrates the turn. "And if we want to turn right, what direction do we need to bend?"

"The right!" Barbra and Archie shout.

"Before we go, I need to make sure you know the difference between your right and left. Raise your right arm."

Barbra and Archie raise their right arm.

"That goes for you, too, Uncle Kurt," Blaine teases.

Kurt rolls his eyes and raises his right arm.

"Put your left hand on your nose," Blaine orders.

"Rub your belly with your right hand."

Once everyone has done that, Blaine continues, "Slap your Uncle Kurt's bottom with your right hand."

Barbra and Archie giggle as they slap their Uncle Kurt. Kurt would love to slap Blaine's bottom to see if it's as pert as it looks.

"I think everyone has got it. I want you to follow me in a line. Uncle Kurt, do you mind taking up the rear?"

They traverse across the slope, and Blaine shouts out left before they turn. Archie gains too much speed and falls down. Once he stands up, his giggles confirm that nothing is wrong, and Blaine continues. Before they know it, they are at the bottom of the slope.

They go up the magic carpet ride and follow Blaine down the slope again. After a half a dozen times, Kurt feels more confident on the slope, although his thighs are feeling the strain of slowing down the speed and turning. He hopes he doesn't look like an idiot in Carole's video footage and his father's photos.

"I wanna try the snow tubing! Will you show us how, Blaine?' Archie asks.

"Sure thing, kiddo," Blaine replies.

They drop off the skis and change into snow boots before heading up the magic carpet. Rachel and Finn are waiting at the top to join them.

Blaine gives each grownup a two-person snow tube. "Has everyone gone sledding before?"

When everyone nods, Blaine explains, "It's very similar to sledding. Spreading your weight flat and evenly across the surface of the tube will give more speed. Of course, pushes and running starts will also make the tube go faster. We're going to start with snow tubing in pairs, and when Barbra and Archie feel confident, they can go on their own."

Barbra stands next to her mother, while Archie stands next to his father. Blaine approaches Kurt. "I think that leaves us to pair up. You should be in the front."

Blaine sets down the tube, and Kurt sits in the front as gracefully as he can. Blaine jumps on the tube's back, and it starts down the slope. When the snow tube gains momentum, Kurt shrieks. He certainly doesn't like the feeling of being out of control. Kurt feels strong hands grip his sides. "Don't worry, Kurt. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

When they are at the bottom of the slope, the snow tube stops on the level ground. Kurt gets up to find his father laughing. "The look on your face was priceless, and it's all caught on video."

"Thanks, pops, just what I wanted to hear." He wonders if he can sneak into their bedroom late at night and delete the video from Carole's phone.

Once everyone is down the slope, they decide to take a break for lunch. They thank Blaine for his time before heading to the ranch. They all hope that they'll have Blaine again as an instructor for all their activities.

After a BBQ lunch, including a live band playing Western music, everyone decides to participate in the scavenger hunt. Kurt excuses himself for the afternoon. After changing into après-ski clothes - yoga pants and a red "finger hole" sweater he grabs his Kindle and walks to the main area. He finds a nook tucked away near a window and curls up in the two-person leather sofa to read "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. The nearby soy candle burning emits a soft light and wonderful smell.

After a while, he goes to the table that has wine and cheese set out for tasting. He grabs a glass of red wine and fills a plate with cheese, crackers, grapes, and nuts. When he returns to his nook, he looks out of the window to see Blaine and a dozen or so children building snowmen. Kurt can't help but admire Blaine's ass as he bends over to lift pieces of the snowmen that the children have rolled. Not for the first time, he wonders what Blaine looks like beneath all the layers of his snow gear and whether he really does have a bubble ass.

When Blaine and the children disappear from view, Kurt gets stuck into his book again. He's reading a romance novel about two men who meet and fall in love, finally finding the meaningful relationship that they've been looking for. This is the sort of relationship that Kurt wants so badly but can't find. If only it was as easy as hanging out at the local coffee shop! When Kurt was growing up in Lima, he had always imagined New York City teeming with other gay men looking for love. He has found that the reality is quite different.

While there are a lot of gay men living in New York City, it's difficult to find an attractive, intelligent, single gay man who is looking for romance, too. Sure, Kurt has had a lot of attention, especially in the clubs, but he's looking for more than just someone to scratch an itch with a one-night stand. Working on off-Broadway doesn't make it easy. While most men are going out on Friday and Saturday nights, Kurt is on stage. When Kurt has time off during the day, most men are working. Sunday and Monday evenings are never a good part of the week to be looking for love, either.

Kurt smiles when he sees Santa make an appearance in the lobby. If he's not mistaken, it's Deputy Bob underneath the red suit. Santa is joined by a horse dressed up as a reindeer and an army of elves distributing toy stuffed animals. Young children line up to sit on Santa's lap and give him last-minute gift requests. Elves hand out cups of eggnog and gingerbread cookies to both children and their parents. Once everyone has been served, the elves sing Christmas carols.

"I don't believe it! You're the Kurt Hummel."

Kurt looks toward the voice to discover Blaine standing near the sofa. He's obviously off duty, because he's changed into red trousers and a multi-color striped sweater. His hair is slicked back like a 1940s movie star, and he looks so different from the man with wild curls bursting out of a ski headband. His eyes are sparkling and his smile is warm. So this is what has been hiding underneath the layers of ski clothing. Kurt most definitely approves.

"The one and only, although you know me as Uncle Kurt. I'm sorry, Blaine, have I met you before today?"

"No, but I've certainly seen you. I've watched you perform in The Jersey Boys twice. You were brilliant as Bob Gaudio, but I personally think you would have been a great Frankie Valli. Your singing range is phenomenal."

"You know my singing range?" Kurt asks.

"I'm a music therapy major at NYU Steinhardt. It's not every day I come across such a pure countertenor voice."

"Thank you, kind sir. If you're not in a rush, why don't you join me for a glass of wine?" Kurt suggests.

"I have to wait for my Uncle Bob to finish work, and it looks like he'll be a while," Blaine replies, his gaze drifting over to Santa. "I'll get us some wine and nibbles. I'll be back soon."

Kurt sets down his Kindle and internally squeals. Who knew that ski instructor Blaine would be so handsome in real life. The icing on the cake is that he's not only a music major, but he's a bit of a fanboy. Kurt reins in his emotions - he doesn't even know if Blaine is gay or not. And if he is gay, someone like Blaine will surely have a boyfriend.

Blaine quickly returns and hands Kurt his glass of wine before sitting beside him. "To new friends. Merry Christmas, Kurt."

Kurt clinks their glasses together. "Merry Christmas, Blaine. Tell me, why is a NYU music therapy major working at the Rocking Horse Ranch over Christmas?"

"My Uncle Bob and Aunt Mary have been working here forever. When I was young, we spent many a family holiday here. I work here during the summers, but my Uncle Bob sort of kidnapped me for December, when the ranch was a staff member short. It certainly beats burying myself in the NYU library or music practice rooms."

When Kurt reaches for a piece of cheese, their hands accidently brush, and a tingle rushes from his belly to the tips of his toes. Kurt's face flushes, and he feels like he is on fire. He wonders if a simple touch of the fingertips had any effect on Blaine.

They talk about their lives in New York City and are surprised that they only live a few blocks away from each other, and they frequent the same coffee shop, albeit at different hours. They both enjoy going for walks in Central Park, watching trashy reality TV shows, and fashion. They also have the same quirky sense of humor, and they both let it casually slip that they are gay and single. Blaine seems too good to be true.

"Are you ready to go, Blaine?"

Kurt looks up to see Deputy Bob dressed in his usual cowboy style.

"Sure. Have you met Kurt Hummel yet?" Blaine asks.

"I picked Kurt up from the train station. Are you enjoying your stay at the ranch?"

Kurt nods. "I've had a brilliant day. After breakfast, I hit the ski slopes with my family, and Blaine was our ski instructor. As you can see, I made it down the slope in one piece."

"You're in good hands with Blaine." Deputy Bob checks his watch. "We best get going if we don't want to get on the wrong side of Mary. She's been cooking up a storm all day."

Blaine stands up and extends his hand. "It's been wonderful to meet you, Kurt. Tomorrow is my day off, but I'll be here until the New Year…"

"Same. I'm at the ranch until New Year's Day. Perhaps you can show me other parts of the ranch?" Kurt asks.

Kurt can feel heat in his face like he is on fire. It's unlike him to be so forward with someone he's just met, but he doesn't want to let Blaine slip away from him. He's relieved when he sees a gigantic smile on Blaine's face.

"I'd like that very much. I'll see you the day after tomorrow. Merry Christmas, Kurt."

"Merry Christmas, Blaine."

As Blaine and Deputy Bob walk away, Kurt's eyes linger on Blaine. Although he has only met Blaine today, he feels a special connection. He hasn't felt so hopeful about any other man before. Maybe it's true that there is something or someone for everyone at the Rocking Horse Ranch.

 **Five days later… December 29th**

Kurt and Rachel mount their horses, and follow the ranch's wrangler along the forest trail. Burt and Carole have stayed with children to take them on pony rides, while Finn is as at the indoor archery range.

"Ever since we've arrived, you've been spending a lot of time with Blaine," Rachel remarks.

"I don't know what you're talking about. He just happens to be the instructor for the activities I pick."

Rachel smirks. "I bet you have his work schedule memorized."

Kurt looks away, embarrassed that his friend has figured out that each night, Blaine provides him with his schedule for the next day.

"Kurt, I didn't mean to embarrass you. Blaine is cute, and he adores you. You deserve some holiday fun. You've worked so hard this past year, and I know from first-hand experience that performing eight times a week leaves very little time for dates."

"You think Blaine adores me?" Kurt tentatively asks.

Rachel laughs, "Is that all you heard me say? Blaine is constantly sneaking looks at you, and he certainly isn't as attentive to me, Finn, or even your parents. He always has that dopey grin when you're around… It's the same smile you have now."

Kurt quickly schools his expression, annoyed that he got caught out. It's true that they have enjoyed each other's company over the past week. Blaine has been open, friendly, and good company from the outset. Kurt has joined every adult activity that Blaine is supervising, and they meet up during his work breaks. Kurt feels like a moth attracted to a bright light, and he can't get enough of Blaine's company.

When they leave the trail and return to the barn, Kurt quickly dismounts and checks the time. "It's time for my ice skating lesson. I'll see you at dinner tonight."

"Say hi to Blaine for me," Rachel giggles.

Kurt quickly makes his way to the ice skating rink. It's mid-afternoon, and fortunately there are no children on the ice. As Blaine had predicted, they are all probably splashing about the indoor water park. He quickly puts on a pair of skates and tries to calm his nerves. He hasn't ice skated since his mother died, and he prays that he doesn't look like a fool on the rink. It's got to be like riding a bike, right?

Kurt looks up to see Blaine skating like a pro. His body is leaning forward with one leg lifted behind and his arms stretched out, as he glides gracefully around the corner. When Blaine spots him, he races over and stops in front of Kurt with a small turn.

"I was hoping that you were going to come," Blaine says, then looks down like a bashful school boy.

If that isn't adorable, Kurt doesn't know what is. "I've got to warn you, I haven't been ice skating since I was eight years old."

Blaine takes Kurt's hands and pulls him up. "We'll take it slowly. Just don't let go of me, and you'll do fine."

Kurt doesn't need any further encouragement to hold Blaine's hands. Blaine skates backwards slowly, pulling Kurt forward. They glide a full circuit of the rink, and Kurt is proud of himself that he hasn't fallen down.

Blaine stops them. "You've got a real natural sense of balance. Do you want to try skating by yourself?"

Kurt shakes his head. Why would he want to ice skate by himself when he can be up close to Blaine's body and hold his hands?

Blaine starts skating backwards again, keeping Kurt even closer to him. Snowflakes whirl in the air, and Kurt watches a fat one land on Blaine's long eyelashes. Blaine begins to sing.

 _ **I'm dreaming of a white Christmas**_

 _ **Just like the ones I used to know**_

 _ **Where the treetops glisten and children listen**_

 _ **To hear sleigh bells in the snow**_

Kurt joins in the next verse, and their voices blend beautifully together.

 _ **I'm dreaming of a white Christmas**_

 _ **With every Christmas card I write**_

 _ **May your days be merry and bright**_

 _ **And may all your Christmases be white**_

Kurt notices Blaine's eyes quickly glance at his lips, and boy, does he want to be kissed. Where is the mistletoe when you need it?

"Blaine, I'm rounding up everyone to go inside. There's an emergency staff meeting in the dining room. We're in for a huge snow storm. It should last for days."

Kurt looks up to see Deputy Bob beckoning them to come inside. He's internally crying at his bad timing. Couldn't Deputy Bob have waited until they kissed? He reluctantly lets Blaine guide him off the rink and changes into his snow boots.

The wind picks up, and the snow falls rapidly. Kurt can barely see ten feet in front of him. He clutches onto Blaine's arm as they slowly make their way into the ranch. He hopes that they don't get buried in one of the snow drifts that are quickly forming.

"I better get going," Blaine says. "I'll call you when I'm free?"

"Sounds good. I guess I'll join the line dancing lesson with my dad and Carole."

All through the lesson, Kurt keeps hoping that Blaine will text him, and he will have a perfect excuse to leave the lesson, but his phone remains silent. Perhaps Blaine has returned to his Uncle and Aunt's house before the blizzard makes the roads impassable. Kurt would never admit it to anyone, but he quite enjoyed the line-dancing lesson.

After a soak in the indoor jacuzzi, Kurt returns to his room and dresses for dinner. He spots the rocking horse stocking, filled with a large quantity of Lindt Milk Peppermint Cookie Truffle Balls, that Blaine gave him the day after Christmas. He unwraps a truffle and pops it into his mouth. Kurt savors the rich and creamy flavors and imagines that Blaine's lips taste like this.

Kurt texts Blaine to make sure that he's arrived home safely, but he doesn't receive a reply. If he hasn't heard from Blaine by dinnertime, he'll ask Shelly if Deputy Bob and Blaine have made it home.

Once Kurt is satisfied with his outfit, he makes his way to the Longhorn dining room. He hears a number of languages spoken and is surprised that there are international guests wanting a Western-style stay over the holidays. His family is at a table near the window, and he joins them. It has only been one week since the Winter Solstice and it's already nightfall, but he can see the blizzard raging outside. He sits down next to his father and looks over the menu, trying to decide which starter and main course to eat.

"Blaine! We're over here!" Barbra and Archie shout.

Kurt looks up to see Blaine dressed in a server's cowboy outfit. The Western-style shirt looks a size too large for him, and the sleeves are rolled up to reveal strong forearms. However, the jeans fit snugly and hug him in all the right places. Donning a cowboy hat and a Western bolo tie, Blaine looks too cute for his own good.

"Is there anything you don't do at the ranch?" Burt asks.

Blaine laughs, "It's all hands on deck during a snowstorm. There's been an incident on the main road a couple miles away. It wasn't due to a driver's negligence, but the roads are completely blocked with snow drifts. The staff at the resort are stuck, and the others can't make it in. We're in for at least two feet of snow over the next few days. I'm working until further notice."

"I hope that there is enough food to last through the storm," Finn remarks.

Blaine chuckles. Don't worry, there is plenty of food in the kitchen. This time of year, the chef is always prepared for blizzards. It's the staffing that is more difficult to manage."

Carole smiles sympathetically. "I hope you won't have to do the washing up after dinner."

Blaine shakes his head. "I'm in the evening entertainment lineup."

"Can we go?" Barbra shouts excitedly.

Finn smiles at his daughter. "If you eat all your vegetables without a fuss, we can all go see Blaine after dinner."

Blaine approaches Rachel. "I'll be serving the potato latkes you ordered earlier."

Burt, Carole, and Kurt order the French onion soup and turkey, the children opt for hamburgers, Rachel requests the vegetarian pasta, and Finn orders the prime rib.

Before leaving their table, Blaine approaches his father. "I've followed your career in the Senate, and you are doing so much to fulfill your campaign pledge to promote LGBTQ rights. We need more senators like you."

Burt replies, "Gay rights have been my top issue. Even though it makes me wildly unpopular with my distinguished colleagues. They're on the wrong side of history, so screw 'em."

As Blaine walks away, Kurt's eyes shamelessly take in the way Blaine's ass moves in the tight jeans. God, he is hot.

Blaine serves them efficiently, and they gobble up their meal. There is a dessert buffet, and they are spoiled for choice - pies, cakes, cobblers, cookies, and ice cream are on offer. Kurt opts for a slice of cheesecake topped with strawberry sauce.

After dinner, Barbra and Archie drag the rest of the family to the lobby, where Blaine is in front of the fireplace with children and adults sitting around him. He's playing his guitar and singing a cover version of Jason Aldean's "You Make It Easy". They quickly find a place close to Blaine and sit down, listening to Blaine sing the popular country song.

Carole leans in towards Kurt and whispers, "He's got such a beautiful voice, so much talent. Blaine is such a kind-hearted person and is so good with children. He's also easy on the eyes. I would say that makes him the complete package and quite the catch."

"Don't I know it," Kurt whispers back.

When Blaine finishes singing, the staff distribute mugs of hot chocolate topped with marshmallows and freshly-baked cookies.

Once everyone has settled down again, Blaine clears his voice to get everyone's attention. "For the next song, I'd like to invite Kurt Hummel to sing with me. He's a Broadway star, and you're in for a treat."

A flush creeps across Kurt's cheeks. It's one thing to sing with Blaine alone on the ice skating rink, but it's an entirely different matter to sing in front of an audience.

Burt gently prods him. "Go on, Kurt. I betcha you two will sound terrific together."

Kurt reluctantly gets up and sits next to Blaine by the fireplace.

"You'll know this one. Join in whenever you want," Blaine says. He strums his guitar and starts to sing.

 _ **Oh, the weather outside is frightful**_

 _ **But the fire is so delightful**_

 _ **And since we've no place to go**_

 _ **Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow**_

Kurt joins the audience in laughter because the snow is still falling heavily outside. He joins in the next verse, and as before, their voices blend beautifully.

 _ **When we finally kiss goodnight**_

 _ **How I'll hate going out in the storm**_

 _ **But if you really grab me tight**_

 _ **All the way home I'll be warm**_

 _ **Oh, the fire is slowly dying**_

 _ **And, my dear, we're still goodbying**_

 _ **But as long as you love me so**_

 _ **Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow**_

When they finish singing, the audience bursts into loud applause. Kurt can't take his eyes off Blaine, who is staring shamelessly at him as well. Kurt can't help think that being snowbound at the Rocking Horse Ranch with Blaine by his side is the best thing ever.

Barbra jumps up and shouts, "Blaine! Uncle Kurt is sitting under the mistletoe. You've gotta kiss him!"

Kurt looks up to see sprigs of mistletoe directly above him, and his heart starts to beat so hard. Blaine doesn't hesitate in the least and leans in to kiss him. Soft lips press against his - it's sweet and tender and over far too quickly. When they break apart, Kurt can't help but stare at Blaine's lips, wishing they were against his once again, only in a more private setting.

The moment is lost when Deputy Bob shouts, "It's showtime at the Silverado Saloon. Steve is waiting to show you his magic tricks."

Suddenly, the area is busy and noisy with people getting up for the next show. Kurt looks around but can't see Blaine anywhere. He makes his excuses and heads to bed, knowing that he won't be able to concentrate on a magician or any other performer for that matter. His thoughts are filled with one Blaine Anderson.

Kurt lays awake that night, recalling all the times he has spent around Blaine, both with his family and on his own. Baine's positive attributes are endless. He is smart, caring, good with children, handsome, and has got a great body. To top it all off, he's single and lives in New York City, at least during the school terms. As Carole had mentioned to him earlier, Blaine is the complete package.

Kurt wonders if Blaine will think about him before he goes asleep. He's giving Kurt a lot of signals that he likes him. Kurt needs to find the courage to let Blaine know that he likes him in a romantic way. As he thinks of potential dates within the confines of the ranch and songs he could sing, he drifts to sleep.

 **The following day, December 30th**

At breakfast the next day, Kurt sees the sign that all outdoor activities have been cancelled because of the snowstorm. Instead, there are new indoor activities added to the daily schedule. When Kurt's phone beeps, he takes it out of his pocket to read the new text.

 _I'm in the activity room for Twister but no one is here :(_

 _Any chance you'll join me? - B_

Kurt smiles at Blaine's text. He hasn't played Twister since Rachel's eighth birthday party.

I'll be there in ten minutes with Barbra and Archie.

Kurt rounds up the kids, and along with Rachel, they rush to the activity room. Blaine is wearing a thick woolen Aran sweater with snug-fitting jeans. He's surprised that Blaine has dark circles under his eyes and is blowing his nose.

"Are you okay, Blaine?"

Blaine tucks his hankie in his pocket. "I'm fine."

Kurt raises an eyebrow in disbelief but lets it go.

"Where is everybody?" Archie asks.

Blaine replies, "I think most people are in the Children's Zone watching SpongeBob SquarePants on the big screen. However, that's not going to be as fun as playing Twister."

Blaine explains the simple rules of the game, and Rachel offers to be the official spinner. They quickly form two teams, mixing adults and children, take off their shoes, and take their positions on the plastic mat.

Rachel flicks the arrow on the spinner. "Left hand yellow!"

Each player is easily able to place their left hand on a yellow dot.

"Left foot red!"

Archie tries to stretch too far and falls down, leaving only Blaine, Kurt, and Barbra in the game. Blaine takes off his heavy woolen sweater, and Kurt sees a glimpse of olive skin above the jean waistband. He frowns when Blaine tucks his shirt in and gets into position.

"Right hand green!"

Kurt leans back so that his hand is on the green circle, and is now face to face with Blaine's ass. Kurt's mouth hangs open as dirty images run through his head. No matter how the game plays out, he's the winner with a view like this.

"Left hand blue!"

Kurt looks around, and there is no way he can contort his body to reach the blue circle, so he falls on the mat and lays on his back in defeat. Blaine easily positions his left hand, and is now hovering over him. Kurt reaches up and tickles Blaine, who collapses on top of him. Kurt continues the tickling, enjoying Blaine squirming and giggling.

"That's not fair! Uncle Kurt cheated!" Barbra screeches.

"Blaine and Barbra are the winners!" Rachel shouts.

Blaine rolls on his side and begins to cough.

Kurt rubs his back. "Are you sure you're all right?"

Blaine sits up and puts on his woolen sweater once again. "I didn't sleep very well last night."

"Where are you sleeping?" Archie asks.

"In the barn," Blaine replies.

"The barn isn't heated. You could have froze to death last night!" Rachel exclaims.

"I had a warm sleeping bag and a woolen blanket, but it wasn't enough. The ranch is fully booked, and there are no rooms available for the staff."

Kurt watches Blaine sniffle and worries that he might get sick. He couldn't sleep a wink in his nice toasty-warm room knowing that Blaine was freezing in an unheated barn.

Without overthinking it, Kurt offers, "You can sleep with me tonight."

Blaine sputters and coughs dramatically.

"My room is enormous - it even has a potbelly, wood-burning stove in the corner. I'll ask for a cot to be set up beside it."

"Are you sure, Kurt? I don't want to impose on you." Blaine replies.

"It's no problem. Do you think I could sleep knowing you were freezing outside? You would be doing me a favor."

The door to the activity room opens, and Finn looks in. "They're about to show the SpongeBob Band Geeks episode on the big screen TV."

Rachel jumps up. "That's my favorite! Come on, everybody. Afterwards, I need to speak to housekeeping about extra towels. I'll ask them to set up a cot in Kurt's room."

When the Hudson-Berry family have left, Kurt says, "Well, it's settled then. You can't sleep in the barn while there is a cot in a warm bedroom."

Blaine looks up through his eyelashes. "Thank you, Kurt. I'll take you up on your offer."

Blaine brings up his work schedule on his phone. After dinner, he is assigned to the barn, feeding the horses and mucking out the stables. They agree to meet by the Christmas tree in the lobby at 10:00 PM.

When Blaine hugs him goodbye, Kurt breathes in his delicious scent. Kurt reluctantly lets go because he can't get ahead of himself. He needs to make it through tonight first without any mishap. Romance can come later.

Kurt arrives at the Christmas tree in the lobby 15 minutes early. The prospect of sleeping in the same room as Blaine gives him butterflies in his stomach. He's already taken a hot bath and performed his night time moisturizing routine, including rigorous skin-sloughing. He's relieved that he brought his navy blue silk pajamas with him. He's not expecting anything to happen, but still, he wants to look good for Blaine.

Blaine arrives on time, and he has a small backpack with him. "Are you sure you don't mind me sleeping in your room?"

Kurt puts his hands on his hips. "Blaine, I think of you as a friend, okay? Do you think I'm the type of guy that would let a friend freeze in a barn overnight?"

"No, I think you're the type of guy who is pretty special."

Kurt can feel a blush rising to his cheeks, and he wills it down. "As Finn would say, it's just bros helping bros."

They walk in silence to Kurt's room. When Kurt opens the door with his key, he holds it for Blaine to enter first. When Blaine freezes in place, first. When Blaine freezes in place, Kurt wonders what the problem is. He soon finds out for himself.

The room still only has one bed. There isn't a cot in sight.

Kurt stares at the space where there should be a cot but there isn't one. "Housekeeping must have forgotten to deliver the cot. I'll call to remind them."

Kurt picks up the telephone receiver and presses the button for Housekeeping. "This is Kurt Hummel in Room 206. I'm expecting a cot to be delivered to my room this evening."

"As I told Mrs Berry-Hudson earlier today, there are no spare cots available."

"I see." Kurt hangs up the phone, silently cursing Rachel for not giving him this vital bit of information earlier. He looks over at Blaine, who is warming his hands in front of the potbelly, wood-burning stove. No, not awkward at all.

"Blaine, you'll never believe this. There are no available cots tonight."

Blaine breaks out in laughter, holding his stomach. Kurt arches his eyebrow and gives him one of his patented bitch-face looks.

"Oh, come on," Blaine replies, shaking his head with a huge grin. "It's funny. It's like we're in a Hallmark movie or a fan fic."

"It's not that funny. There is only one bed, Blaine!"

Blaine's laughter dies down. "Relax, Kurt. It's no biggie. I'll go to the barn to sleep."

When Blaine bends to pick up his backpack, Kurt's mind is spinning. He can't let Blaine sleep in the barn tonight. The outside temperature is below freezing, and it's still snowing. They are both grown men and not teenage boys with raging hormones, for goodness sake. They've already established that they are friends, and what kind of friend would he be if he let Blaine leave?

Before Blaine gets to the door, Kurt shouts, "Stop! I can't let you go."

Blaine turns around and gives Kurt a puzzled look.

"Spend the night with me. This room has a king-sized bed, and it's certainly big enough for two. I couldn't sleep knowing that you are staying in the barn."

"That's very kind of you, Kurt, but I don't want things to be awkward between the two of us."

"It'll only be as awkward as we let it be. What's awkward about two friends sharing a bed out of necessity?"

Blaine gives him a doubtful look.

"Okay, it's going to be a little awkward, but I can live with that. I want you to stay."

Blaine's jaw drops. "You really mean that, don't you?"

"Yes, of course I do. Why don't you use the bathroom while I change into my pajamas?" Kurt suggests.

Blaine's lips curl into a smile, and he nods before entering the bathroom.

Kurt quickly changes into his silk pajamas, and slips into the right side of the bed. Kurt would be lying if he says he isn't nervous about spending the night in the same bed as Blaine. He prays that he doesn't have another wet dream, moaning with Blaine's name on his lips.

Blaine returns to the bedroom, wearing tight-fitting yoga pants and a short-sleeved T-shirt. He has washed out the hair gel, and his head is now a riot of curls that bounce as he walks.

Blaine slips into the left hand side of the bed and lies on his side, facing away from Kurt.

"Good night, Kurt, and sweet dreams."

Kurt tucks the sheets around him so that he doesn't accidently roll over and grope Blaine in his sleep. He tries to keep a degree of realism about the situation. They are merely sharing a bed out of necessity, and he wouldn't do anything inappropriate while he's sleeping, right?

He lies awake until he hears Blaine's breathing even out in sleep. He closes his eyes and tries to think of anything except the gorgeous sweet man sleeping next to him.

Kurt wakes up feeling hot and quickly realizes that Blaine is half lying on top of him, with his arm wrapped around his upper body. It's like having a five-foot-something hot water bottle in his bed, something he could get used to. He looks over at Blaine - curls are going this way and that, his mouth is slightly opened, and his lips are soft-looking. It would be so easy for Kurt to move his head just a little bit and kiss him now. But he doesn't. What would he say if he was caught?

Kurt feels the bed shift as Blaine snuggles closer, if that is even possible. Blaine hooks his foot around Kurt's ankle and slides his toes up his calf. Kurt can feel his morning erection get even stiffer. As if that isn't enough, Blaine nuzzles against his neck, and Kurt can feel little puffs of hot air.

Kurt wonders what it would be like to wake up each morning with Blaine wrapped around him and decides it would be the best feeling in the world. It would truly be an ideal way to wake up. He has always wanted to have a special someone in his life, and he can imagine Blaine could be that person one day.

Blaine begins to pepper light kisses on his neck, and it feels so good. When Blaine thrusts his hips forward, Kurt's eyes widen at the impressive erection pressed against his thigh. Big things really do come in small packages.

Blaine's eyes flutter open, and he quickly pulls away from Kurt's body as if singed by a fire, then he facepalms while blushing. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry, Kurt. I should have warned you that I'm like a koala when I sleep."

Kurt giggles, and affection glows in his eyes. "No worries. I was about to wake you up. It's almost time for breakfast."

Blaine looks at his phone and jumps out of bed. "I've got to start work in 15 minutes."

"Why don't you use the bathroom first? I can wait."

After Blaine has rushed into the bathroom, Kurt stretches like a cat in bed. He's had the best night's sleep that he can remember since goodness knows when. He looks at his phone and realizes that it's New Year's Eve, and it's his last full day at the Rocking Horse Ranch. Tomorrow afternoon, he'll be on the train back to New York City. He'll have a month before he joins a workshop for a new Broadway show. Who knows what will come of that.

Blaine returns to the bedroom, fully dressed for his day leading social activities at the ranch. "I'm assigned to horseback riding today. God knows if anyone will turn up in this weather."

Kurt shakes his head. "Count me out. Even though it's stopped snowing, it'll be cold and windy outside."

"I'm in charge of the children's dance party after dinner, if you want to join in the fun with Barbra and Archie."

"You can count on it," Kurt replies.

Once Blaine has left, Kurt showers and dresses. When he enters the Longhorn Dining Room for breakfast, he joins the Berry-Hudson family to see what the others are planning to do today.

"Sleep well, Kurt?" Finn smirks.

"As well as I could under the circumstances. I have a bone to pick with you, Mrs Rachel Berry-Hudson. You should have given me a heads-up about the cot."

"I didn't think it would make a difference," Rachel counters, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Before Kurt can lay into Rachel, Burt Hummel arrives at the table.

"Good morning, everybody," Burt greets everyone.

"Good morning, Grandpa. Where's Grandma?" Barbra asks.

"She's having a lie-in and then plans to go to the spa for a massage. It's just Grandpa for breakfast today."

Once Kurt and his father have helped themselves to the breakfast buffet, the Berry-Hudsons take their leave for the children's arts and crafts session to make evergreen wreaths.

Kurt picks up the carafe of coffee and tops up their mugs. "This family holiday really was a great idea. There truly is something for everyone here."

"Or someone," Burt smirks. "Don't think that I haven't noticed how close you and Blaine have become. Do you think that you'll keep in touch with Blaine when you both return to New York City?"

"I'm not sure. We haven't talked about it. I'm not exactly sure how Blaine feels about me."

"Well, how do you feel about Blaine?" Burt asks.

"I really like the way Blaine makes me feel. We just click. I enjoy spending time with him."

"But…" Burt prods.

"But, in February, I'm joining a workshop for a new Broadway show. If it gets the green light, life will be filled with rehearsals and then eight performances a week. It would be so much simpler if I focused on my work and not worry how to fit a relationship around those crazy hours."

Burt takes a sip of coffee before speaking. "Kurt, you know how proud I am that you have a career that you love. But in my experience, it doesn't mean a lot if you don't have someone special to come home to at the end of the day. It's worth the risk. You can't control the timing of meeting someone special like a business transaction. You never know when it will happen."

Kurt's heart squeezes because he really does want a special someone in his life, but is afraid of opening his heart in case the relationship fails. "How do you know…"

"There are a lot of unknowns in life, but you have to take a chance on someone. Sometimes you have to let your heart guide you. Do you think that Blaine could be the one for you?"

Kurt nods. "He really is an amazing guy. We have this special connection, one that I've never had with anyone else before. I have a feeling he could become one of the best things in my life. But who knows? We've only known each other a week."

"The only way to find out is to spend more time together," Burt suggests.

"So should I ask him if he wants to continue seeing me when we return to New York City?"

"Son, you're the only one who can answer that question. From where I'm sitting, I haven't seen you smile so much since… ever. You practically sparkle every time you're around Blaine. Blaine seems like a nice young man, and he's smitten, too."

Burt stands up. "I've gotta go meet Carole. I'm sure you'll figure this out, but don't wait until it's too late. A new year might be the right time for new beginnings "

Kurt spends the day in the lobby, curled up on a sofa by the fireplace. Although he has a book opened on his lap, he spends most of the time gazing at the burning logs, thinking about what he should do.

Although he's only known Blaine for a week, he has already made his way into Kurt's heart. He's never felt such an instant connection to a person, and he doubts that he'll find someone else who's going to make him feel like this. Blaine is worth the chance of finding out if there could be more. With newfound determination, Kurt decides that he needs to ask Blaine out on a date in New York City.

He takes particular care to dress for New Year's Eve, so that he looks his best for Blaine. After dinner, he joins the Berry-Hudsons in the activity room for the children's dance party. The lights are dimmed, a disco ball hangs from the ceiling, and multi-colored strobes light up the dance floor. Bean bags are scattered across the room for those who want a rest.

Blaine is singing a karaoke version of "Happy" from Despicable Me 2, and the children are jumping while turning in circles. Barbra and Archie join the fun on the dance floor, while Rachel and Finn take photos and video with their phones.

When the song is over, Rachel asks, "Can I sing a song, too?"

Rachel sings songs selected by the children - "Call Me Maybe", "Firework", and "Live While You're Young", to name a few. She even convinces Finn to sing "Faithfully" with her. Before Kurt knows it, an hour has passed, and it's nine o'clock.

Blaine wrestles the mic from Rachel. "There is time for one more song before Magic Mike takes over as the DJ. Join in if you know the words to the song."

When Kurt hears the first beats of the music coming from the speakers, he knows exactly what song Blaine will sing.

 _ **You're insecure**_

 _ **Don't know what for**_

 _ **You're turning heads when you walk through the door**_

 _ **Don't need make-up, to cover up**_

 _ **Being the way that you are is enough**_

Mike joins Blaine on the dance floor and they strut, spin, and dance. Kurt is impressed with their killer dance moves. Blaine stares at Kurt while singing, as if the song is directed at him. Kurt saunters onto the dance floor and joins in on the chorus.

 _ **Baby you light up my world like nobody else**_

 _ **The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed**_

 _ **But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell**_

 _ **You don't know, oh oh**_

 _ **You don't know you're beautiful**_

When the song is over, Blaine announces, "Our younger guests are invited to the game room with Steph for story time, crafts, activities, and games. Parents are excluded. Instead, Magic Mike will kick it up a notch with country dancing and fun for the adults. You can meet up with all your family and friends at eleven o'clock for a delicious buffet as we get set to countdown to midnight."

The children quickly disappear with Steph, and Mike changes the music to Gretchen Wilson's "Here for the Party". Couples join him on the dance floor and begin to shake their booty.

Blaine walks over to Kurt and whispers in his ear, "I'm off at ten o'clock for the rest of the night. Would you please join me in celebrating the New Year?"

Kurt's face lights up. "I couldn't imagine a better way to let the New Year in. What do you want to do?"

"That's a surprise. Meet me at ten o'clock at the front entrance bundled up in your outdoor gear."

Kurt can't imagine what Blaine wants to do outdoors in the freezing cold, but he trusts him. He trusts that Blaine has something special planned. The outdoors also has the advantage of them being alone, while the other guests and staff are inside with activities and food. There are a lot of things they could do on their own without family prying.

At the appointed hour, Kurt meets Blaine at the front entrance. Blaine takes his hand and leads him towards the barn. If Blaine thinks that anything will go down in a freezing cold barn, he is sorely mistaken. He can't imagine a less romantic way to bring in the New Year than on top of a haystack.

When they near the barn, Blaine says, "Wait for me here. I'll just be a few minutes."

Kurt can't help but wonder if Blaine is setting something up inside. When his impatience gets the better of him, Kurt decides to enter the barn, but he stops when the side door opens. Kurt spots two white horses attached to a two-person sleigh that contains Blaine.

"Hop on in," Blaine orders.

As they settle down in the sleigh, Blaine covers their legs with a thick woolen blanket. Their thighs are pressed together, and Kurt feels cosy in spite of being outside on a cold winter's night. Blaine tugs at the reins, and the horses set off in a gentle trot. When they approach the forest, Kurt's eyes widen when he sees blue lights covering the pine trees. The lights are strategically placed to emit a perfect glow.

"Wow, it's like a festival of lights - there must be thousands of them," Kurt exclaims.

"Fifty thousand, to be precise. Most years, people from miles around come to see them. The blizzard has kept them away the past few days," Blaine reports.

The white horses follow the trail on the outer edge of the forest. The setting looks so pristine with only animal tracks on the virgin snow. Thousands of stars light up the skies, and blue lights illuminate the trees. It looks like a scene from a children's fairy tale. Kurt can't get over how romantic it feels.

When they are a good distance away, Blaine stops the horses. They can still see the Rocking Horse Ranch in the far distance. Blaine pulls out a thermos, and pours two cups of hot mulled wine.

"Is it crazy to say that I missed you today?" Blaine asks.

Kurt's heart flutters. "I missed you, too, even though I saw you before breakfast this morning. Please say that you're staying with me again tonight."

Blaine smiles and nods. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do tomorrow when you leave for the City."

"When do you start back at NYU?" Kurt asks.

"I finish working the day after tomorrow, but spring term doesn't start until the beginning of February. I'll be hanging around in the City, composing some new music, reading, and stuff like that."

Kurt can't believe that they both have a month free before they need to work or study. This would be the perfect opportunity for them to spend time together and see if there is something special.

Kurt takes a deep breath. "Well, fancy that. I don't start work again until the beginning of February. Perhaps I could take you out to show you my version of winter fun in the City."

"L- like on a date?" Blaine tentatively asks.

Kurt decides to come clean with his intentions. "Definitely a date, that is, if you want it to be."

Blaine holds his hand underneath the blanket. "I'd love that… You know… A date…"

Kurt instantly relaxes. "It's settled then. We'll make a whole day of it. Are you free next Saturday?"

Blaine nods. "Wild horses couldn't keep me away."

"Don't talk about wild horses when we're in a sleigh. It could be a bad omen," Kurt chuckles.

Blaine puts his arm around Kurt. "I'm sure there are fun winter things I could show you, too. We could go ice skating in Bryant Park, there is an Igloo Bar at 230 Fifth's rooftop, or we could get cozy and snugly with the kittens at The Brooklyn Cat Cafe."

The very idea of planning future dates together is more than Kurt could have hoped for, and he finds himself loving every second of their conversation.

Blaine looks at his watch. "It's less than a minute until midnight. Do you have any special wishes for the New Year?"

Kurt replies, "I have the usual wishes for my family to stay healthy and happy, to have my next show be a smashing success, etc., etc., etc. How about you?"

"Honestly?" Baine asks.

Kurt nods.

"I want to start the New Year with a kiss," Blaine says and ducks his head.

Bursts of bright light fill the air as the fireworks illuminate the sky. Fireworks might be nice, but Kurt wants that kiss so desperately. He looks over at Blaine, who is staring at him with hazel eyes glowing in the light of the fireworks. Kurt's gaze drifts down to Blaine's lips, and they look tempting and inviting.

Blaine cups Kurt's face and slowly pulls him closer until their lips press together. The kiss is sweet and gentle, though not hesitant in the least. A warm feeling spreads from Kurt's fingertips to his toes. Blaine licks the seam of Kurt's lips, prompting Kurt to open his mouth, and their tongues are soon tangled together. Kurt feels a different sort of firework lights burst inside him. Blaine is so smart, kind, and gorgeous, and the kiss intensifies his feelings. He doesn't remember ever sharing a kiss quite like this before.

When the need to breathe become too pressing, Kurt reluctantly pulls away. Blaine's lips are red and puffy, his cheeks flushed, and his eyes sparkling. He looks gorgeous.

"Happy New Year, Kurt."

Happy New Year, Blaine."

Blaine puts his arm around him once again, and they stare at the fireworks display. Kurt has a feeling that this new year will be the best one ever, especially with Blaine in his life. When he boarded the train eight days ago, he had no idea that he would find whom he was looking for, without even knowing it, at the Rocking Horse Ranch.


	4. A Very Messy Christmas

A Very Messy Christmas

By Kittenamos

The snow outside their third-story loft was coming down hard, so thick that it almost obscured the view through their kitchen window completely. Since Rachel moved out to LA a couple months ago to start her movie career, and both Kurt and Blaine's extended families were stuck back in Ohio due to the storm, this was going to be the first Christmas the small family was going to be spending by themselves.

With the heat turned up to fight off the chill of the storm, and the use of Christmas music to help drown out the howls of the wind, Kurt and Blaine kept themselves busy in their small apartment with their three-year-old daughter, Maia, preparing a few last minute adjustments to the holiday decorations.

 _ **Haul out the holly  
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again  
Fill up the stocking  
I may be rushing things but deck the halls again now**_

 _ **For we need a little Christmas right this very minute  
Candles in the window, carols at the spinet  
Yes we need a little Christmas right this very minute  
Hasn't snowed a single flurry, but Santa dear we're in a hurry**_

Little Maia sat on the edge of the counter, kicking her bare feet playfully making soft thumps against the drawers below her, while licking cookie dough off of the wooden spoon Kurt had recently finished with. Humming softly to the holiday playlist that his husband had set up on his iPhone, Kurt used a steel scooper to place rows of dough onto a cookie sheet as Blaine, sang softly along to the music from the other side of the room, adding a few more ornaments to the pine tree.

 _ **Climb down the chimney  
Turn on the brightest string of lights I've ever seen  
Slice up the fruit cake  
It's time we've hung some tinsel on the evergreen bough**_

 _ **For I've grown a little leaner, grown a little colder  
Grown a little sadder, grown a little older  
And I need a little angel sitting on my shoulder  
Need a little Christmas now**_

 _ **For we need a little music, need a little laughter,  
need a little singing ringing through the rafter  
and we need a little snappy, happy ever after  
We need a little Christmas now!**_

"How are the cookies coming along?" Blaine called over his shoulder as he slid the ribbon of a reindeer ornament over a branch.

"We're making chocolate chip!" Maia cried out excitedly, waving her wooden spoon in the air.

"And gingerbread cookies for Santa," Kurt reminded his daughter before calling over to Blaine. "They're almost ready to put in the oven."

"Santa's coming!" Maia beamed, bouncing on her bottom happily.

"Tonight, honey," Blaine agreed as the last notes of _We Need a Little Christmas_ drifted off. "Do you want to help me put the angel on top?" he asked, nodding in the direction of the couch where the tree topper sat waiting.

With a joyful squeal from the little girl, Kurt gently took the spoon out of her hand before lifting his daughter off the counter and placing her on the floor. Her black curls bounced softly on top of her head as she hurried over to retrieve the angel.

The angel; which Blaine and Kurt had picked out at the store together, had blonde, almost white hair, and wore a long white dress that came down to cover her feet, with long flared sleeves. Gold trim laced the bottom of the dress along with around the angel's waist. The figure's hands were placed over her chest, just below her neck, and had big glass wings that were covered with white glitter. Maia had seemed almost mesmerized by the ornament when she first laid eyes on it a few weeks ago and had insisted that the topper hang out in her room with her dolls the last couple of days.

As Kurt slid the tray of unbaked cookies into the oven, the theme song to Mr. Grinch began to play through the speakers.

 _ **You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch  
You really are a heel  
You're as cuddly as a cactus, you're as charming as an eel, Mr. Grinch  
You're a bad banana with a greasy black peel!**_

Hearing her daddy singing, Maia turned around with the angel hugged against her chest to find the dirty blonde man slowly creeping towards her with his hands out in front of him shaped like claws. A giggle bubbled out of the girl's throat as he drew close enough to tickle her under her chin.

 _ **You're a monster, Mr. Grinch  
Your heart's an empty hole  
Your brain is full of spiders, you've got garlic in your soul, Mr. Grinch  
I wouldn't touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole!**_

 _ **You're a vile one, Mr. Grinch  
You have termites in your smile  
You have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile, Mr. Grinch  
Given a choice between the two of you I'd take the seasick crocodile!**_

With a smirk plastered on his face, Blaine reached for Kurt's hands and pulled him close. Together, they began to perform some crazy, modern dance routine that consisted with a combination of sharp turns, jumps, and jazz walks that surprising worked with the song that was playing.

Hopping up and down, Maia sent another bright smile in the direction of her parents before starting to spin around in a circle in an attempt to mimic some of her dads' dance moves that were taking place just a few feet away while she held the angel out in front of her body, her small fingers clutching the fabric of the ornament's dress.

 _ **You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch  
You're a nasty-wasty skunk  
Your heart is full of unwashed socks, your soul is full of gunk, Mr. Grinch  
The three words that best describe you are as follows, and I quote  
"Stink, stank, stunk!"**_

Maia was starting to feel lightheaded and unsteady, the way she always did when she was getting dizzy. With her head in a fog, she didn't realize until it was too late that she was losing her grip on the angel's white dress. Slipping out of her hands, the tree topper flew across the room. With a loud bang, it crashed against the wall before landing with a quieter thump on the carpeted floor.

Kurt and Blaine spun around at the sound of the impact and paused at the sight of the angel resting on their floral designed rug. One of the ornament's glass wings had broken off and was lying just a couple inches away from the rest of the angel.

 _ **You're a rotter, Mr. Grinch  
You're the king of sinful sots  
Your heart's a dead tomato splotched with moldy purple spots, Mr. Grinch  
Your soul is an appalling dump heap overflowing with the most disgraceful  
Assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable, mangled up in tangled up knots!**_

 _ **You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch  
With a nauseous super "naus"!  
You're a crooked dirty jockey and you drive a crooked hoss, Mr. Grinch  
You're a three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce!**_

Seeing the broken figurine lying on the ground, the three-year-old suddenly burst into tears. The muscles in her little chin trembled with the emotion that was escalating on her features.

Hearing the distraught sobs coming from his daughter, Kurt hurried over to Maia and brought her into his arms. Hugging her close, he did his best to comfort the child while assuring her that she wasn't going to be in trouble for the accident.

With _You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch_ drifting to its end, Blaine clicked off the music before making his way over to check out the damage of the angel, placing a hand on his husband's shoulder as he passed them. Picking up the pieces, he studied the clean break of the wing.

"It doesn't look that bad," the gelled haired man explained turning around to face his family and took the couple steps necessary to stand right in front of them. "We can probably hot glue the wing back on. It will be as good as new!" he added, ruffling the girl's dark curls.

With a small sniffle, Maia allowed her daddy to hand her over to her papa so Kurt could take the tree topper and dig through his fashion design kit for his hot glue gun. While Kurt got to work at his crafts table with the angel, Blaine set Maia up in front of the TV with her favorite Christmas movie, _Annabelle's Wish_.

Cuddling into her papa's side, Maia sniffled softly as her slightly red eyes gazed at the moving images on the screen. Billy's Aunt Agnes had just arrived at his Grandpa's farm Christmas morning when the smell of something burning reached her nose.

Raising her head from Blaine's side, the little girl wiggled her nose at the rancid smell. "Papa? What is that?"

Just then, the shrilling siren of the fire alarm went off. Covering her hands over her ears, Maia curled up farther against the back of the couch in fear. "Papa!?"

"The cookies!" Kurt cried from his craft table and moved to stand up, but Blaine was already up and running towards the stove. Instead, Kurt turned in the direction of their linen closet to grab a towel to wave under the kitchen alarm. Turning off the heat, Blaine grabbed the oven mitt that was lying on the counter and dove to pull out the ruined cookies.

Seconds later, Kurt was able to get the alarm to shut off and Blaine turned to open the window a few inches to help ventilate the smell, as well as try to prevent too much of the snow from coming inside and making a mess on the floor.

"Santa's cookies!" Maia cried walking slowly into the kitchen side of the open floor plan as the realization of what was happening hit her. Fresh tears began to roll down her pale cheeks. "You ruined Santa's cookies!"

Before Kurt or Blaine could think of anything to say in order to comfort the distraught toddler, the howl of the wind outside their loft suddenly picked up and the lights started to flicker until finally turning off entirely. Even though it was still quite early in the afternoon, the sun had already set below the horizon leaving the young family in complete darkness and Maia let out a terrified cry.

"Hold on! I'll find a flashlight," Blaine spoke up above the crying child.

"There should be one in the drawer to your left," Kurt noted as he attempted to make his way blindly in the direction that he had last seen their daughter.

Through the couple's blind attempts to return some form of peace to the loft, they could hear Maia's quiet sobs and the soft sound of the little girl's bare feet slowly stumbling her way towards Rachel's old room that had been redecorated for the child as soon as their friend had moved out. By the time Blaine had found the flashlight and had switched it on, they were just able to make out the back of the child as she slipped through the curtain that substituted for a door in their apartment.

Kurt let out a heavy sigh before turning to face his husband. "This night could have gone better."

Not bothering to turn around, Blaine shrugged his shoulders. "She'll feel better in the morning." Setting the flashlight on the counter so the light was reflected towards the center of the room, the dark haired man turned back to close the window again and latched it close. "Can you find some more flashlights or candles?"

Nodding his head, Kurt turned to make his way towards the storage unit they had standing against the wall by their front door. "It's Christmas Eve, Blaine. Maia is supposed to be going to bed tonight feeling excited about Santa coming. Not depressed that she broke the angel for the tree or that Santa's cookies got ruined."

Kurt turned back in time to see Blaine gesture in the direction of where their first batch of cookies; Maia's chocolate chips, sat cooling on a plate. "We still have those. I'm sure once Maia's had a chance to calm down some, she wouldn't mind sharing her cookies with Santa."

Setting the candles he had pulled out down on their kitchen table, Kurt stepped closer to his husband who handed him a box of matches that he retrieved from a cabinet over his head.

"Still," Kurt moaned, glanced towards the room the little girl had disappeared through.

Blaine stepped around his husband to set the tray of burnt cookies in the sink and turned on the hot water to let the pan soak. After a moment of silence he said, "Do you remember, back in high school, when all we had to do was sing a song to each other and all of our problems would seem to just disappear?"

Kurt paused in his mission of sporadically placing the lit candles around the room, and turned to glance in the direction of the curtain that Maia was hidden behind before sending Blaine a knowing smile. Even without the background music to back them up, they knew each other well enough to know instantly what song they should sing to help bring a smile back to their daughter's face.

 _ **"I really can't stay –**_ " Kurt started, jumping into the acapella version of the very first duet he had ever sung with his husband.

 _ **"But baby, it's cold outside,"**_ Blaine chimed in, a grin growing on his face and his eyes lit up as his gaze met Kurt's

 _ **"I've got to go away – "**_

 _ **"But baby, it's cold outside."**_

Blaine started to walk over towards Kurt as they continued to sing and the countertenor took a couple steps forward.

 _ **"This evening has been – "**_

 _ **"Been hoping that you'd drop in."**_

 _ **"So very nice – "**_

 _ **"I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice."**_

At these words, Blaine took Kurt's hands in his, but the taller one dropped the hold and took a couple steps past his husband as he continued with the next line.

 _ **"My mother will start to worry – "**_

 _ **"Beautiful, what's your hurry?"**_

Blaine called, and Kurt knew that he had turned back to look at him.

 _ **"My father will be pacing the floor – "**_

he sang, clasping his hands behind his back as he quickened his steps turning back around to face his husband.

 _ **"Listen to the fireplace roar."**_

The gelled haired man smirked as he gestured towards a nearby candle.

 **"So really I'd better scurry – "**

Kurt raised his eyebrows and tilted his head slightly to one side.

 _ **"Beautiful, please don't hurry."**_

Blaine acted along with the lyrics and stepped closer to Kurt again.

 _ **"Well, maybe just a half a drink more – "**_

 _ **"Put some records on while I pour."**_

The slightly shorter one spun past Kurt as he sang.

 _ **"The neighbors might think – "**_

 _ **"Baby, it's bad out there."**_

 _ **"Say, what's in this drink?"**_

 _ **"No cabs to be had out there."**_

 _ **"I wish I knew how – "**_

Kurt caught something move out of the corner of his eye and turned back to find the curtain to Maia's bedroom had been brushed aside slightly, a little hand gripping the edge of the fabric. He turned away again as Blaine proceeded with the song.

 _ **"Your eyes are like starlight now."**_

 _ **"To break this spell – "**_

 _ **"I'll take your hat, your hair looks swell."**_

 _ **"I ought to say no, no, no sir – "**_

Kurt shook his head slightly and smirked at Blaine as the man drew closer once again.

 _ **"Mind if I move in closer?"**_

Blaine moved up to brush his shoulder against Kurt's before turning to place one hand on his husband's waist and took his hand in the other. With a cheeky grin, Kurt complied by resting his free hand on the man's shoulder and they started to spin around the candlelit room.

 _ **"At least I'm gonna say that I tried – "**_

 _ **"What's the sense in hurting my pride?"**_

 _ **"I really can't stay – "**_

 _ **"Oh, baby don't hold out."**_

 _ **"Ahh, but it's cold outside."**_

Their voices chorused together, the perfect compliments to each other. Blaine removed the hand that was laying on Kurt's waist just long enough to spin him around twice before pulling him back into his warm embrace. In the process, the dark haired man glanced in the direction of his daughter's room and took note of the little head picking out from behind the curtain.

 _ **"I simply must go – "**_

Kurt pulled back slightly in the embrace as he acted along to the song.

 _ **"But baby, it's cold outside."**_

 _ **"The answer is no – "**_

 _ **"But baby, it's cold outside."**_

 _ **"This welcome has been – "**_

 _ **"How lucky that you dropped in."**_

 _ **"So nice and warm – "**_

 _ **"Look out the window at that storm."**_

Blaine sang nodding in the direction of the kitchen window where the snow was still pouring down, with a slight smirk and raised an eyebrow at his husband.

 _ **"My sister will be suspicious – "**_

 _ **"Gosh, your lips look delicious."**_

Kurt nearly melted right then and there when Blaine said the word 'delicious', but he kept his composure enough to keep singing.

 _ **"My brother will be there at the door – "**_

 _ **"Waves upon a tropical shore."**_

 _ **"My maiden aunt's mind is vicious – "**_

 _ **"Ooh, your lips are delicious."**_

Blaine brought his hand up to Kurt's cheek as he sang those words, lightly tracing the edge of Kurt's bottom lip. Kurt shuddered at the feel of Blaine's calloused thumb against his soft lips.

 _ **"Well, maybe just a cigarette more – "**_

 _ **"Never such a blizzard before."**_

Blaine shrugged slightly and gave another small gesture towards the window.

 _ **"I've gotta get home – "**_

Kurt finally pulled out of his husband's embrace and turned around in time to find Maia taking a step out of her room.

 _ **"But baby, you'll freeze out there."**_

Blaine stepped up behind Kurt, also noting their daughter's presence, but ignored her for the moment to finish the song.

 _ **"Say, lend me your coat – "**_

The countertenor sang, glancing over his shoulder at his husband.

 _ **"It's up to your knees out there."**_

 _ **"You've really been grand – "**_

Turning away, Kurt gave a small skip into the living room.

 _ **"I'm thrilled when you touch my hair."**_

 _ **"But don't you see – "**_

 _ **"How can you do this thing to me?"**_

Blaine did a little spin before following behind Kurt.

 _ **"There's bound to be talk tomorrow – "**_

 _ **"Think of my lifelong sorrow."**_

 _ **"At least there will be plenty implied – "**_

 _ **"If you got pneumonia and died."**_

Blaine walked back up to Kurt and tapped him lightly on the nose. The dirty blonde let out a small giggle as he continued with his next line.

 _ **"I really can't stay – "**_

 _ **"Get over that holdout!"**_

 _ **"Ahh, but it's cold outside,"**_

Kurt sang as Blaine harmonized with, "Ohh, baby it's cold outside," and they both fell back against the living room couch, staring at each other with goofy grins on their faces.

It wasn't long before they heard laughter behind them, and the couple turned as one to find little Maia giggling with a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle the noise.

"Feeling better, munchkin?" Blaine asked after a moment, tilting his head in order to make eye contact with the child around Kurt's body.

With a small smile and a hiccup, the girl nodded slowly and wiped away the few remaining tears on her cheeks.

"The glue should be dry on the angel by now," Kurt noted. "Do you still want to help papa put it on the tree?"

At the memory of what happened, the girl's facial expression fell for a moment, but she nodded shyly.

With a small smile of encouragement, Kurt got up to retrieve the tree topper and handed the ornament over to her before Blaine picked her up under her armpits and lifted her up so she could reach the top of the tree, sliding the angel into its rightful place.


	5. In Which Kurt Gets a Reminder

In which Kurt gets a reminder of how magical Christmas can be.

By Awela

White Christmas. That was how Kurt Hummel remembered the most important period of the year from his childhood. He remembered buying the Christmas tree with his mother, bringing it home, decorating it before his dad had gotten home from work, and then the three of them had gone outside to see the Christmas lights. Kurt loved them probably since his birth. That time of the year when everything had seemed magical. When everything had seemed possible.

The best part was the snow, of course. As a small child, Kurt had loved being out there, building snowmen and getting lost in snowball fights with his parents. He had loved going home after that, changing clothes and curling up on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate in his hands while watching the flames in the fireplace. As Kurt had gotten older, their Christmas traditions had changed. Mostly because of the death of his mother, their holidays had become simpler. The snow seemed to take over their depressed mood as well, because after his mother's death, there had been no more white Christmases in his life. Other things had become important and Kurt had forgotten how magical those simple things had made his holiday once.

Until the day that changed everything.

As a famous Broadway actor, Kurt had little time for the beauties of life. He got stuck in the everyday routine, he went to work, then home, spent some time alone and slept. He worked a lot and didn't think about how different things might be.

When Christmas was coming up again, people became excited. They bought presents, planned the menu for the holiday. Anywhere he went, he bumped into a crowd and it frustrated him. He couldn't understand why people did this to themselves, and most importantly, to people who didn't believe in the magic of Christmas anymore. It would have been so much easier without forcing his way through the crowd every single day. It made Kurt so tired.

Snow was a luxury in New York these days. It was always too warm in the city, even when it snowed, it soon turned to a disgusting dirty mess and then it melted away. It wasn't about peace and wonders of the nature, just something annoying he sometimes had to deal with. When Kurt noticed the first snowflakes the day before Christmas, he sighed. He hoped that it wouldn't cause him too much trouble, not right now when he wasn't in the mood to see people sleighing and building snowmen. Or just see people happy at all. He didn't hate people, it was just…

It was what he had lost.

Kurt sighed as he stepped to the window to see if it stopped snowing. His eyes landed on the huge white snowflakes that kept falling from the sky like feather flakes. He smiled bitterly. His mother had told him that story about angels losing feathers, then the other one about Mother Holle. Kurt had believed both of them and had begged his mother to tell him those stories over and over again. Everything had seemed so easy as a child. Everything had seemed possible.

Kurt looked at the children on the street next. Of course they were out there, running from one house to the other as if the cold didn't bother them at all. He closed his eyes and listened to the noises coming from outside. Laughing. That was the loudest. The pure sound of happiness. He felt something warm spreading in his chest, something he hadn't felt for years. Maybe the snow wasn't that bad after all.

He didn't think, just let his body move automatically. He walked back into the hall, grabbed his coat, a warm scarf, got into his boots and walked out of the house. There was that coffee shop nearby with flavored drinks. They had a special Christmas edition that smelled great and he decided to try it. Maybe it would help him feel that warmth again. It was a good feeling and he just realized how much he needed it. Just a small reminder of the good old days.

He hummed happily as he took a sip of his coffee and stepped out of the coffee shop. It was great. Sweeter than his usual drink, probably full of sugar, but who cared? It was simply wonderful. Like the gingerbread he had baked with his mother. The coffee kept him warm and he didn't want to go back home anymore. It was still snowing, the streets were all white, the air was filled with music and laughing and Kurt was sure that he would be lonely at home. He didn't want to miss this moment, not when it let him feel something good he thought he had lost so many years ago. He just couldn't leave right now. So he decided to take a walk and see what this Christmas held for him. Maybe he could change, maybe he could leave his past behind and be happy for the holidays like most people did. Maybe he wouldn't feel so alone anymore. It was crazy to think that some snow would change everything but Kurt let himself believe, even if it didn't last too long. He didn't want to become that old gruff man who yelled at children for playing in his garden. He had to do something about it, because now he was exactly on the way to…

Bang!

Something huge and green hit him right into his face and Kurt fell. The paper cup fell from his hand and the coffee spilled over his expensive coat, soaking it right over his chest. Kurt hissed as he felt the warm liquid burning his skin. It wasn't hot enough to injure him but warm enough to make him uncomfortable. Not to mention that his clothes were all wet, smelled like gingerbread and Kurt was pretty sure that he wouldn't be able to clean them out. It was his favorite coat and somebody had just ruined it.

Still lying on the ground, Kurt pushed himself up to his elbows and glared at the thing in front of his eyes. A Christmas tree. How ironic. Just because he hated Christmas, there was no reason to…

A pale face popped up behind the tree. Kurt's eyes left the tree and focused on the face instead. It was a nice face with full lips, bright golden eyes, framed with shiny dark curls. It was a boy, no, a young man, probably around his age. Only didn't have the signs of grief and weariness under his eyes.

"God, I'm so sorry" the man said.

"What the hell happened?" Kurt asked because he wasn't sure if it was real. Maybe he had hit his head, he wasn't sure.

"I guess I hit you with my tree" the man said in a small voice.

Kurt's eyes landed on the tree again. Right. The man probably hadn't seen him and bumped right into him. Since he had carried a huge tree in his arms, he had sent Kurt to the ground with just one move. And ruined his clothes. That was absolutely unacceptable.

"You ruined my clothes" Kurt told him.

The man's eyes widened as he took in the scene in front of him. Kurt was still lying on the ground, with a brown patch on his coat, the paper cup right beside him.

"Let me help you…" the man started and reached out towards Kurt with one hand, but he wasn't able to pull him up to his feet and hold the tree, too. It started to fall, so the man grabbed it with both hands again and smiled awkwardly. "I-I forgot about the tree."

"I see" Kurt muttered.

The man pushed the tree to the wall and when he was sure that it would stay in place for a while, he turned back, grabbed Kurt's hand and pulled him up to his feet. He reached out with one gloved hand and tried to brush the coffee off of Kurt's coat. Kurt glared at him again. Either this man was a lunatic who enjoyed touching his victims or simply stupid to think that Kurt would appreciate his attempt to clean his clothes. He didn't seem dangerous, so it was probably the latter.

"It's not helping" the man came to the conclusion.

"Of course not. As I said, it's ruined" Kurt said. "And now I have to go home in wet clothes, probably catch the cold and spend the holidays in my bed. Thank you for that."

"It was an accident!" the man said, seemingly desperate to make things better. "I live just up there. Come with me, I can give you another coat…"

"Do I look like someone who goes with strangers?" Kurt asked.

The man blinked in surprise.

"I'm Blaine" he said suddenly.

"Excuse me?"

"My name is Blaine" he said again. "See? I'm not a stranger anymore."

Kurt stared at him for a good while, trying to decide what to do. He was too far from home now to walk back, he would get sick in the cold and that was the last thing he needed for Christmas. Maybe he didn't care about traditions anymore and wasn't excited about the holiday, but he wanted to see his father and friends and he wouldn't be able to do so if he was sick. Besides, the man – Blaine – seemed genuinely sorry, he didn't look like a bad person and if he lived near...

"Kurt," he introduced himself shortly.

"It's nice to meet you, Kurt" Blaine smiled.

"Sure. Now show the way. I'm cold" Kurt said.

"Of course" Blaine nodded and went back to grab his dangerous Christmas tree again.

~ o ~

Blaine's apartment… well, it was a strange place. It was small, barely enough for one person and it was a mess. Kurt couldn't take a single step without worrying about bumping into something. On the top of that, the place was fully decorated with every possible Christmas color.

"I love Christmas" Blaine explained.

"I can tell" Kurt muttered.

Blaine brought the tree to the middle of the living room, Kurt completely forgotten, and tried to push it into the Christmas tree stand. Kurt watched him with a raised eyebrow for a while, but when it became clear that Blaine forgot about his wet clothes, he stepped forward.

"Uhm, Blaine…"

"Just a second!" Blaine said. He cut through the rope around the tree and stepped back to see as it got back its original form in the next seconds. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Kurt jumped back just in time to avoid a twig that seemed like it wanted to hit him again. As if the tree was against him. He knew that it was insane but Blaine's tree was simply dangerous.

"Right" he said. "Can you give me dry clothes or not?"

"Oh. Oh! I forgot about that!" Blaine said and disappeared in another room Kurt hadn't noticed before.

"Why am I not surprised?" Kurt shook his head. This guy was so strange.

As he waited for Blaine to come back, he looked at the Christmas tree. It was a nice one, not too big but seemingly healthy. With the Christmas decoration, it would look amazing. He could have imagined a similar one in his own living room...

"Here you are" Blaine said as he walked back into the room and pushed the clothes into Kurt's hands.

Kurt looked down at the clothes, stunned. They were all red and golden and green, just like the decoration in Blaine's living room. He would never wear such colors, not together.

"I bought them last week" Blaine said excitedly. "I didn't need more clothes but then I saw the Christmas selection and…"

"They look warm" Kurt said. And nobody would see them under the coat. They would make it.

"That's right!" Blaine nodded.

Kurt unbuttoned his coat and looked around awkwardly. Blaine was still just a stranger, he didn't want to change clothes in front of him, not even if he wouldn't see too much of him anyway. Blaine seemed to see that his presence was unwanted in that moment, so he quickly turned around and promised not to watch until Kurt was done. Kurt quickly changed clothes and tapped Blaine's shoulder to let him know that he was done.

Blaine turned around and a huge smile appeared on his face.

"You look amazing!" he shouted excitedly.

Kurt looked down at the red-golden sweater and the huge dark green scarf. His look was far from amazing.

"I look like a Christmas elf" he sighed.

"I might have a red cap somewhere…"

"No!" Kurt said quickly. "No, thanks. I think it's enough. Thank you again. I'll return your clothes as soon as I can."

He thought that they were done here but Blaine stopped him before he could leave.

"Let me buy you a coffee" he said.

Kurt turned around, not hiding how surprised he was.

"I'm really sorry about your clothes" Blaine explained. "You were drinking that gingerbread flavored coffee when I bumped into you, right?"

"How do you know?" Kurt frowned.

"You still smell like gingerbread" Blaine smiled.

"Okay. I have to go."

"No, please, wait!" Blaine said quickly. "I'm not crazy, I swear. Overenthusiastic, maybe. But can you blame me? It's almost Christmas!"

Kurt slowly turned back around and looked into Blaine's eyes. Those beautiful golden eyes practically begged him to stay and he found himself unable to say no. Blaine was so nice. And hot, Kurt silently added. He couldn't ignore that important point.

"Okay" he said.

"Okay?" Blaine asked back.

"You can buy me a coffee" Kurt smiled. He wasn't angry anymore and the clothes didn't seem to bother him that much either. Now that he thought about it, they looked quite good. And they were comfortable and warm. He should thank Blaine for them.

He didn't, though, it just wasn't his style. But he pulled on the coat Blaine offered him – another green piece that suited the scarf and covered the red sweater – and checked his look in the mirror. It wasn't that bad. Green was his color, it matched his pale skin and blue eyes.

"You look amazing" Blaine told him.

"Thanks" Kurt said quietly. Was he blushing? That was weird. He was used to compliments. Blaine seemed to be honest, though, and it made his heart beat faster.

They walked back to the coffee shop in silence. Kurt tried not to look at Blaine too often, although he felt like he should. Now that Blaine wasn't hiding behind a Christmas tree and Kurt wasn't busy with his wet clothes, he had time to check the man. Blaine was dressed in bright colored clothes, more than Kurt, but they didn't seem too extravagant. There were people who looked great in anything and it seemed like Blaine was one of them. He must have known that because he walked around with confidence. Kurt also noticed that Blaine smiled a lot. As they walked down to the square to get their coffees, Blaine pointed out small things that didn't seem important at first and laughed. Kurt usually found this kind of enthusiasm annoying but Blaine was simply cute as he pointed from one thing to the other.

"Look at those lights! Aren't they beautiful?"

"Oh, I love the music!"

"What is this smell? Hm, I'm hungry!"

Kurt soon found himself laughing, too. He rarely came out here and practically never before the holidays because the crowd frustrated him. And because Christmas had lost its magic so many years ago. At least so he had thought. Because now that he was here and Blaine showed him everything, he slowly remembered how fantastic Christmas had been once. He had thought that it had been his mother making their holidays unforgettable but maybe he was wrong. Maybe Christmas itself was magical, he only had to open his eyes and see it.

Blaine seemed to be determined to show him the beauties of Christmas. They went to the coffee shop, got their coffees, but didn't stay in the warm place too long. They tightened their scarves around their necks and stepped out into the cold again.

"Have you seen the Christmas market?" Blaine asked.

"I don't go to Christmas markets. They are so crowded…"

Blaine grabbed his free hand without asking and started to pull him forward.

"What are you doing?" Kurt asked.

"I can sense your awful I-don't-like-Christmas mood. We have to do something about it" Blaine said.

"I don't have to like Christmas" Kurt said but let Blaine lead him through the crowd. "I just… I don't like Christmas. Is it wrong?"

"Yes, it is" Blaine answered. "This is the best time of the year. Nobody should be sad."

"I'm not sad!"

"Seriously?" Blaine asked with a raised eyebrow.

Kurt opened his mouth but closed it again. Why would he lie to Blaine? It was pointless. The man could already see that something was wrong with him.

"I'll help you with this" Blaine reassured him and squeezed his hand before pulling Kurt through the rows of people.

Kurt already had his own thoughts about the market but Blaine was determined to change his mind. With their coffees still in their hands, they carefully made their way down the endless looking rows of stalls. Sometimes Blaine walked faster, sometimes he slowed down to show Kurt something interesting. He pointed out details like the unique decoration or pieces they should buy. Soon Kurt found himself in a very good mood and enjoyed his time with Blaine a lot.

"Oh, look at those brooches!" he said excitedly.

"That one with the blue stone would look fantastic on you" Blaine said.

"Really?" Kurt asked.

"Of course" Blaine nodded. "So good that it would be horrible if someone else bought it."

Before Kurt could stop him, Blaine reached into his pocket and pulled out a few banknotes. He took the brooch from the table and fixed it on Kurt's coat.

"I was right!" he said happily.

"I can't accept it" Kurt said quickly. He barely knew Blaine. It was too much.

"Of course you can. Come on!"

Blaine pulled him to the next stall before Kurt could protest. And the other. And the other. They walked through the whole market, sometimes they stopped for a longer time, sometimes they moved forward quickly. Blaine was so excited, he was like a child, everything made him happy, and Kurt found it so adorable. Soon he was laughing and talking endlessly. It was so easy with Blaine. Even if he barely knew the man, it felt like they had been friends since birth. Or more. Blaine made him alive again and Kurt wished this night never ended.

Once they were done it the market, Kurt tried to find another reason to stay. He didn't want to say goodbye to Blaine, he wasn't ready yet. Blaine wasn't done as it turned out, he already had another idea what to do.

"I love ice skating!" he told Kurt, already pulling him forward to their next stop. "It's just so…"

He kept talking and talking but Kurt didn't mind. He loved Blaine's voice. It made him so calm, so peaceful. And his hand was so warm… Kurt was glad that Blaine had bumped into him with that tree. It was probably the best thing that had ever happened to him.

The ice skating rink was full of people, although it was already late. It seemed like nothing bothered people here, not even the cold. Kurt could even see children along them, taking slow, careful steps or leaving their parents behind. They put their skates on and slid into the middle. Kurt felt a little insecure on the ice, it had been years since the last time he had been on the ice. Blaine put an arm around him and helped him stay on his feet.

"Look" Blaine said. His face was so close to his that Kurt could feel his warm breath on his cheek. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Kurt looked around. The first time since they had arrived, he noticed the decoration around and above the skating rink. There were about a dozen Christmas trees around them, dressed in white and silver and blue and so many more beautiful colors. The lights above them seemed like stars. It was truly beautiful.

"You're right" Kurt said. He forced himself to look away from the lights and turned to Blaine.

Blaine's face was closer to his than Kurt remembered. It was so close that their lips almost touched. The thought scared Kurt for a moment but it went away quickly. Being in Blaine's arms felt great. As if he belonged there.

"You're shaking" Blaine said. "Are you cold?"

Kurt tried to form a response but he failed. All he could think about now were Blaine's lips and how they must have tasted. He knew he had to find out.

"Are you alright?" Blaine asked in concern.

"Sure" Kurt said finally. "I just…"

Kissing strangers probably wasn't a good idea. He knew practically nothing about Blaine. And he didn't know how Blaine felt. He didn't ruin the chance for a good friendship. He didn't have people like Blaine in his life but he definitely needed someone like him.

"We should move" Kurt said. "You're right. I'm cold."

Blaine nodded. He kept his arm around Kurt and helped him take a few rounds. Sometimes they stopped, so they could watch the Christmas trees for a while, then moved forward again. They spent about an hour in the skating rink in the end. When they left, Kurt bought themselves hot chocolate and they decided to take a walk and enjoy the sight along with their drinks.

"How can this place be so loud and peaceful at the same time?" Kurt wondered. There were still so many people around but it didn't bother him anymore.

"It's the magic of Christmas" Blaine shrugged.

Something fell onto his nose, something cold and wet. And white. Kurt looked up to see the first snowflakes fall from the sky and land on the coat Blaine had given him. The snowing had stopped a few hours ago but it looked like it started again.

"It's snowing" Kurt said.

"We're lucky. Christmas isn't perfect without snow" Blaine said.

"I loved snow when I was younger" Kurt said.

"Don't you love it now?" Blaine asked.

Kurt looked up at the sky and then back at Blaine. The gap between them was slowly disappearing again and Kurt looked into Blaine's eyes to see what he was thinking. He was still smiling. Maybe closing that gap between them wasn't a bad idea after all…

Kurt never answered Blaine's question. He didn't need to. His lips on Blaine's told the man more than words could have. Kurt closed his eyes and moaned as their lips finally touched, making him see fireworks. It was like in the movies. No. It was a lot more. Blaine's lips were absolutely perfect on his and he already regretted not kissing Blaine earlier. It felt so right. It felt perfect.

A loud bang made him pull apart after a while. It happened again and again with a few seconds of silence between them. Kurt needed some time to realize that it was midnight and the sound was coming from the bell of a church nearby.

"It's midnight. It's Christmas" Blaine smiled.

"Officially" Kurt said shortly because that was all he could make himself say. These few hours had been overwhelming and his brain wasn't working anymore.

"Merry Christmas, Kurt" Blaine said.

"Merry Christmas" Kurt said. "I think I'll enjoy this one."

"I hope so" Blaine said.

As they got into the second minute of the day, they were kissing again, completely lost in each other as if the world around them didn't exist anymore.

As a little boy, Kurt had had his own idea about a perfect Christmas: snowy weather, Christmas trees and lights everywhere, with hot chocolate and presents, spent with people he loved. He had been waiting for a perfect Christmas for so long.

But it seemed like he finally got what he needed.


	6. At Least the Ending is Turning out to be

At least the ending is turning out to be pretty perfect

By WildHurricane

They had bought a house. It was old and worn and in need of renovation, but it was their own and they loved it. Buying a house had been Blaine's idea, as had moving to upstate New York. Kurt had been a bit hesitant, not about the house because he'd live with Blaine in a tent if that was what Blaine wanted. It was leaving New York City that Kurt had doubts about. It would mean leaving their friends and his Broadway career behind. A career that hadn't really taken off yet, but it was only a matter of time and persistence.

One late night lying in bed, wrapped in each other's arms, Blaine's head resting on Kurt's chest, Blaine had whispered that moving away from the city could give Kurt the chance and space to do what he'd always dreamed to do but never taken the time to. The words wouldn't leave Kurt's mind, and when Blaine one weekend took him to Ellenville, the small town where Blaine had applied to and been offered a teaching position, his doubt soon disappeared. Kurt fell in love with the town, especially the beautiful views of the Shawangunk Ridge, and he knew this would be the perfect place to do what he'd wanted to do since high school.

The small house was the third on the lists of houses the realtor wanted to show them. They didn't make it further on that list. It wasn't perfect, there were lots of things that needed to be fixed, but they fell in love. It had a small backyard with a small porch and a grand view of the mountains. Kurt could picture many afternoons sitting there, looking out over the greatness of nature and see it shift with the seasons, while waiting for Blaine to come home.

They spent the summer planning, packing and saying goodbye. Come August, they left their apartment and moved the one hundred miles north just in time for Blaine to start his new job. The settling in took some time. Blaine practically ordered Kurt to not do any unpacking while he was at work and Kurt was alone at home. Unpacking could be done on weekends. But weekends were also for lazy mornings in bed, exploring the surroundings and getting to know their new home town. And for fixing up their new/old house. Which was why the final box hadn't been unpacked until last night, four months after they moved in, just in time for their families' first visit.

Blaine had wanted to invite them for Thanksgiving weekend, but Kurt had refused to have any guests over until everything was unpacked, the walls repainted and the kitchen renovated. This was going to be the first Christmas they all spent together, and Kurt wanted everything to be perfect. It would also be the first Christmas as husbands and Kurt didn't want things like broken cabinets and half-finished paint jobs to tarnish that memory.

"Shouldn't they be here by now?" Blaine stood in their kitchen looking out the window at the driveway. Around the neck of his favorite red shirt he wore his favorite Christmas bow tie, the green one with little Santas on it that Kurt had given him one Christmas morning four years ago. He looked worried but Kurt knew it was only because he had been looking forward to this moment since the day they moved in.

Kurt walked up to Blaine and wrapped his arms around him from behind. "Relax," he whispered softly into his ear. "I'm sure they'll be here soon. There's just a lot of fresh snow on the roads."

It had snowed all day and everything - the trees, the land, the roads - was covered in a white blanket. As they stood there, looking out the window, snowflakes were still silently floating to the ground in the beautiful fairytale world outside.

"Do you think something happened to them?"

The worry in his voice was cute and Kurt hugged him a little tighter, resting his chin against Blaine's shoulder. "Cooper texted you ten minutes ago, I'm sure they're fine. Besides, it's my dad who's driving. You know he's rather safe than sorry when it comes to everything."

As Kurt spoke the words, the headlights of a car slowly approached their house. Theirs was the last on a dead end road and there was no doubt the car was heading their way.

"See, they're here now."

"What if they don't like the house?" A sudden, last minute nervousness came over Blaine.

"I'm sure they will. And if they don't, then that's their problem not ours. We love it and that's all that matters."

As Blaine turned around in Kurt's arms to give him a kiss, Kurt could see the excited smile on his husband's face. He loved seeing Blaine this happy. It made staying up real late last night, unpacking and decorating the Christmas tree, completely worth it.

Soon the doorbell sounded and as they opened the door five friendly faces were smiling back at them. "Merry Christmas!" they said in unison, as if it was something they'd practiced in the car.

Hugs between two husbands and five dear family members were exchanged as they shuffled into the small, and soon crowded, entrance.

"I'm sorry we're late, your mother made us stop twice on our way up here," Michael said to Blaine. There was an annoyed sigh in the words that didn't go unnoticed by Kurt.

"Oh, shush Michael. Would you rather I went in the car?" Pam snickered as she embraced Kurt. Kurt could smell a faint hint of alcohol on her breath, which he knew was because of his mother-in-law's fear of flying. At least it made her giggly rather than unbearable.

"Besides," Pam continued, "it wasn't only me. Carole needed to use the restroom too. And Burt had to drive carefully in all that snow."

"The roads were quite dreadful," Carole filled in with laughter.

"And you know me-," Burt started.

"Better safe than sorry," Kurt and Blaine said simultaneously with Burt, which made everybody laugh.

"I am so happy that you're all here!" Blaine said, wrapping his arm around Kurt's shoulders, squeezing him a little.

"Me too," Kurt added, though his excitement was probably not on the same level as Blaine's. Kurt knew what Blaine's family could be like. He hoped for Blaine's sake they'd be different during the holidays, but he had his doubts. Blaine knew too of course, but sometimes it seemed as he forgot between visits. Or maybe he had just a very forgiving nature when it came to his family.

"So are we, kiddo," Burt said.

"Dad, I'm married now, maybe it's time you stopped calling me _kiddo._ " He knew the words were out of love, but Kurt felt like he was fifteen every time his dad did that and maybe it was time they grew out of it.

"You are going to be my kiddo until the day I'm too senile to remember to call you that," Burt stated with something sentimental in his eyes.

Or maybe not.

The statement had Pam giggling some more and Kurt rolling his eyes fondly.

"Squirt," Cooper said, ruffling Blaine's carefully combed and gelled hair, "are you going to let us stand here all day or are you going to invite us in and give us the grand tour?"

Another _great_ family nickname, Kurt thought to himself as he watched Blaine swat his brother's hand away and adjust his hair. He knew how much Blaine hated the name, but no matter how many times he'd told Cooper to stop, he kept on using it. They were doomed to be _kiddo_ and _squirt_ for the rest of their lives.

"Of course, come on in." Blaine gestured for them to take off their coats and follow him further into the house.

"We're so excited to finally see how you live," Carole said as she shrugged out of her coat and handed it to Burt.

There was an old black coat rack standing just inside the door, next to a small table with a wooden bowl on it where they kept their keys, and as Burt was closest to the door he accepted everyone's coats as they handed them to him and hung them on the rack.

"It's like they've been keeping us away, not wanting us to come and visit," Pam said to Carole. "We wanted to come sooner, but Blaine told us no."

"We just wanted to settle in and unpack everything before we invited you out here," Blaine said.

Kurt couldn't help the little thrill that rushed through him when Blaine said those words because they were only partly true. Blaine would happily have had guests their first week in the new house, but Kurt was the one who wanted to postpone, for everything to be perfect before he let their families come to visit. Hearing Blaine repeat his words as if they were something they both felt, made Kurt love his husband a little bit more than before, not that it was really possible.

It had been almost a year now since they got married, but that feeling of being so in love you almost burst didn't go away. Being newlyweds was a special time that Kurt wanted to treasure and keep to themselves for as long as they could. Which was another reason Kurt had wanted to push back on visits.

"For four months, sweetie?" Pam asked and raised a perfectly sculptured eyebrow.

"We're here now," Michael said with a strained smile plastered on his face, "let them be, darling."

"But isn't it a little strange, not wanting your own parents to come and visit?"

"He's not living at home anymore, dear. It's time you stop treating him as if he did." Michael's tone was light but his smile increasingly forced. It probably wasn't the first time they'd had this conversation and looks were exchanged between Blaine's parents. Whatever was said in those looks, it kept Pam from commenting further.

Kurt could feel Blaine stiffen beside him and when he glanced at Blaine he saw that although he was still smiling, his eyes had lost some of its glow.

"How was the trip up here?" Kurt asked to change the subject. "I mean, besides the snowy roads and the bathroom stops. Did you find each other all right at Newark?"

It was Blaine who had suggested for all five family members to meet up at Newark, rent a car and drive the two hours to Ellenville together. Their parents didn't get together all that often, last time was at the wedding, and Blaine had thought the small road trip would give them time to reacquaint so all those initial conversations were out of the way when they arrived and they could jump right into Christmas celebrations.

"It was so much fun!" Pam said cheerfully, flinging her long brown hair over one shoulder. All previous annoyance with her son gone.

"If you count being crammed into the middle seat between two chatting ladies as fun." Cooper sighed dramatically while making a face.

"Oh, Cooper," Pam giggled, "you had fun too. You and Carole talked so much about your latest movie."

It wasn't so much a movie as a lengthy commercial, but Kurt kept those words to himself.

"It was a great idea for us to drive up here together, sweetie," Carole said and squeezed Blaine's hand. "We had time to catch up and fill each other in on what's been going on since your wedding."

Both Kurt and Blaine sent her appreciative smiles. She was a sweetheart, she always had been.

"And Burt and I had a really great talk about the current political situation, right Burt?" Michael turned and nudged Burt in the side.

"How about that tour?" Burt asked from the back in the small hallway, clearly not wanting to revisit that conversation. Kurt wondered what political nonsense Michael had brought up this time.

"Yes, this way to the kitchen," Blaine said, relaxing a little by Kurt's side and gesturing for them all to follow him. Michael's smile faltered for a second, but he quickly gathered himself.

The kitchen smelled of coffee and the sugar cookies Blaine had spent the entire morning baking. He'd gotten up early to make sure he had enough time to decorate them with frosting in bright, Christmassy colors and patterns, while Kurt was still in bed sleeping after spending half the night getting the house ready for their guests.

"This is such a lovely kitchen," Carole said as she looked around. "It's so cozy, and I absolutely love the colors! Was it like this when you moved in?"

The kitchen had white walls, a tiled floor in dove gray and kitchen cabinets that were dark turquoise (which was not the same as teal Blaine had informed Kurt when he had tried to describe the color to the guy in the paint store). They spent a weekend in November painting the doors of the cabinets, a weekend from which Kurt had many fond memories, even if he had to throw away his shirt afterwards.

"Actually, Blaine chose the color and we painted the cabinets ourselves." Kurt was proud of what they had accomplished. He loved their kitchen, loved how the sun from the large window facing the front yard made the turquoise sparkle like the ocean.

"Impressive, baby brother. I'd never guess you'd know how to use a paint brush. A hair brush maybe," Cooper said and ruffled Blaine's hair again. "Although the color is a bit dull. My kitchen is bright yellow and it just feels like I'm hit with a ray of sunshine every time I walk into it. Here I feel like I'm drowning."

"Well, we love it," Kurt said, watching his husband's shoulders slump as his eyes focused on the floor. Cooper's constant need to point out Blaine's shortcomings and his need to outshine his brother always made Blaine quiet and Kurt hated it. He wanted to wrap him up in the biggest hug, but he knew at times like this Blaine didn't want to draw attention to himself, so Kurt settled for a hand on Blaine's lower back.

"Oh, you have eggnog," Pam said excitedly as she noticed the punch bowl they had prepared for later. "Do you mind if I have some?"

"Go ahead," Blaine said, resignation clear in his voice.

"Anyone else?" Pam asked as she took one of the coffee mugs Blaine had set out and filled it with eggnog.

Everyone else declined and had coffee instead. With mugs in their hands, they moved into the living room. There was a big beautiful tree, a Fraser Fir, done up in tinsel and lights and all sorts of decorations that shone and glimmered. Evergreen boughs set off with big red bows were draped along the fireplace mantel just above two stockings. The fireplace wasn't working yet, it was one of the things they still planned to get to, and instead it was filled with burning candles. The cushions and fur rug placed in front of the fireplace was Kurt and Blaine's favorite spot to snuggle up on when the sun had set and the day's chores were finished.

The tree was focal point of the room and had everyone in aww, not even Cooper could find something negative to say about it. The praising made Blaine light up again, and he enthusiastically told them about the garden that lay on the other side of the windows and the views of Shawangunk Ridge, though it was too dark to see it now.

"And this is our bedroom," Blaine said as they moved on with the tour.

Cooper pushed his way through the parents gathered in the doorway to peek inside the room. This room was the one Kurt loved the most, the one they spent most hours planning out. Colors, fabrics, and textures were all carefully selected to create a tranquil and relaxing atmosphere. It was small but cozy, just like the rest of the house. The center of the room was of course the big bed with the grand upholstered headboard in soft dark gray. The bedding was white with accented blankets and throw pillows in gray, blush and light pink. A picture of waves crashing against the shore with a soft pink sunset as backdrop hung on one of the ivory walls.

Cooper threw himself, back first, on the bed. Kurt cringed as he watched how Cooper messed up his neatly arranged pillows. "So this is where all the magic happens."

The comment made Burt and Michael blush, Pam let out an embarrassed laughter and Blaine groan. Only Kurt and Carole took the comment with equanimity. Kurt rolled his eyes and Carole simply smiled.

"When are you gonna make me an uncle, huh?" Cooper waggled his eyebrows and put on his widest grin.

"Honey, you know that they can't actually…" Pam said, blushing, while making a gesture with her hands. Kurt couldn't tell if it was meant to resemble childbirth or a pregnant belly.

"Yes mother," Cooper said dryly. "I paid enough attention in biology class to know how babies are made."

"Oh." Pam blushed, giggled some more, and emptied her eggnog. "Well, I wasn't sure since you seem to believe what they do in bed-"

"So, Kurt," Michael quickly interrupted, "how's that writing going? Blaine tells me you're stuck."

"I did not tell him that!" Blaine turned to Kurt, searched his eyes worriedly, and reached for his hand. "I simply told him that some days it's easier than others."

Since they moved to Ellenville, Kurt had spent his days writing his own musical. A musical designed to fit him perfectly, the kind that would make him a star on Broadway. It wasn't as easy as he'd imagined and lately he had been stuck. Blaine knew that, and he also knew Kurt didn't like to talk about it, it stressed him and he'd rather not think about his project when he hit writer's block. He knew the words and inspiration would come back to him if he left it alone for a few days.

"It's okay." Kurt stroked his thumb across Blaine's knuckles, trying to reassure him it was okay for him to talk about Kurt and his writing with his father. He then turned towards Michael. "The writing is going well, just a minor bump in the road at the moment."

"Ah, okay," Michael said, but his curiosity wasn't stilled. "What's it all about? Blaine won't tell me that."

Blaine of course knew every detail of what Kurt had written so far. In the dark, after they've gone to bed, Kurt would often paint images with his words on the progress he'd made in his musical that day. Blaine would lay there, listen, and take it all in. But Blaine also knew Kurt didn't want to discuss his writing with others.

"I'd rather keep that to myself until I'm finished with it. I don't want any outside influences, I want it to be all my own ideas."

"I see… And you're sure it's gonna be a hit? That it will get you on Broadway?" The words were uttered with great doubt.

" _Dad!_ "

"You can never be sure of that," Kurt answered in a calm, unaffected voice. He'd asked himself those same questions several times before he decided to follow his dream. Blaine had always told him he could do anything he set his mind to, that he believed in him, and it made Kurt a believer too. It also helped that he had connections. "But I have a friend in the industry who promised to read it through when I'm finished."

"So when do you think you will be finished? How long will you live on my son's money?" Michael joked. Sort of.

"Dad, stop! You can't ask that. Kurt is my husband, what's mine is his!" Blaine stared at his dad, his face reddening, not catching the joking tone at all in Michael's voice.

Kurt realized then that Blaine had been waiting for a comment like this from his father, waiting for him to find something he could use to question their relationship and the life they were building together. Now that Blaine thought he heard it, the words snapped out of him.

Kurt hated to see Blaine getting himself worked up. Hated to see him upset when he'd been looking forward to this day, this Christmas, for so long. But most of all he hated that he'd been so busy making sure everything was perfect that he hadn't foreseen this worry in Blaine. He took Blaine's hand in his and squeezed it gently.

Kurt could understand where Michael was coming from, that his question was out of concern for his son, because he too knew it wasn't really a joke. Michael had never been good at hiding that he thought they were too young to be married and too young to own a house together (though he often tried his best to not show his true feelings). But it was only because he hadn't had the chance to see how good they were together. Kurt was convinced that was the case. They rarely saw Blaine's parents so how could Michael know that Kurt would move mountains for Blaine? Maybe this Christmas Kurt would get the opportunity to show him.

"I can if I think it's not in my son's best interest," Michael said, raising his voice slightly, the irritation he'd been trying to hide shining through.

"I'm sure the kids have it figured out," Burt said calmly.

"Yes, Michael, listen to Burt. I'm sure they have it figured out. They're not teenagers anymore." Pam returned the look she'd gotten from her husband earlier, though it was quickly followed by a nervous and overly merry laughter. She did not want her husband and son to start arguing.

"Do you now? Have they shown you payment plans? Or a prenup? Or anything at all that tells you moving out here wasn't a rash decision of two young men who desperately wants to prove they're grown up?"

"I think this is quite enough," Burt said tight-lipped.

"Okay, who wants to see the basement?" Blaine asked, wanting to end the conversation before it grew into something bigger that would ruin not only today but their entire stay over Christmas. But no one listened to him.

Michael crossed his arms, his tone stiff and surly as he spoke. "Enough? I don't think they've thought this through _enough_. Owning a house is expensive. It comes with responsibilities."

"And I know our sons well enough to know they wouldn't make a rash decision. They wouldn't be here if it wasn't something they both knew they could manage. Financially and otherwise." Burt's face was turning red.

"They're 22. At 22 you still think you're unstoppable. You believe you know everything and have it all figured out. You and I both know that's not the case."

"We might not have everything figured out," Kurt interrupted, defending himself and Blaine, "but we know this was the right thing for us."

"Of course you would say that. You're the one sitting around the house all day while my son is out there working, bringing home the money," Michael said. Then he shook his head and muttered. "Writing a musical."

"Watch what you're saying," Burt said, the warning in his tone unmistakable.

"You don't know us. You don't know what our life is like. Blaine and I both-"

Michael cut Kurt off before he could finish. "I know enough."

"Michael, leave it be now." Pam raised her voice, it was still overly merry, but there was a warning and a plea in there too. She then turned with an apologetic smile to Carole. "Don't mind him. He's just had a really stressful month at the office, you know before the holidays and all."

"That's not what this is about, dear." Michael said condescendingly.

"Stop it!" Blaine's voice cut through the room and everyone turned to look at him. "Can you please just stop!"

"Seriously though," Cooper butted in now that the room had gone quiet. He sat up on the bed to make sure he had everyone's attention. "How can you afford this house if you're relying on Blaine's simple teacher paycheck?"

"We just do!" Blaine had had enough, he had reached his boiling point. Kurt had watched how his Christmas excitement had slowly died as the afternoon progressed and now it was all gone. "I just wanted a nice, peaceful and happy Christmas, but apparently we can't do that in our family!"

The room fell silent as Blaine's words echoed between them. Eyes wandered, looking everywhere but at Blaine. Only Kurt looked at him, saw the tears in his eyes, saw his slumped shoulders and his upset face. The discomfort in the room was tangible. Kurt tried to find something to say, anything that would break the tension and put a smile back on Blaine's face, but came up with nothing.

"Would you like to show us the basement, sweetie?" Carole asked softly.

"Yes, I would love to see the basement," Pam agreed. "Maybe just a quick stop by the kitchen to get some more eggnog." She held up her mug for everyone to see that it was empty.

"Fine." With reluctance and no enthusiasm whatsoever, Blaine led them out of the bedroom.

On Kurt's way out, a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned around to see his dad's worried face.

"If you need help with money, you know you can always come to me, right?"

"I know," Kurt said, feeling more grateful than ever for his own family, "but we manage just fine. The school really wanted to hire Blaine so they offered him a very decent salary, and I've got some money put away from the play I was in. We might not be living in abundance, but we don't have to turn every penny either. But thank you, dad."

"Any time, kiddo. And as long as you are happy, I'm happy."

"I'm always gonna be happy with Blaine."

"I know, and that makes you living 600 miles away so much easier to bear."

Kurt hugged his dad. "I miss you too, dad."

When Burt let go he looked away, but Kurt could see that his eyes were welling up. "I think your husband might need your hug and support right now," Burt said. "You should go to him. I'll be right there, I'm just gonna…"

"Are you okay, dad?" Kurt had lived in New York for so many years, it hadn't occurred to him that his dad still missed him. He knew he hadn't been as frequent in his calls this fall, and this was the first time they'd seen each other since the beginning of summer. Now that Burt was standing there, with tears in his eyes, Kurt realized just how much he'd missed him too.

"Yes, yes. I just want to… eh… to…"

Kurt erased the distance between them and wrapped his arms around his dad again. "I love you, dad," he whispered.

"Love you, too," Burt said with a voice more raspy than normal.

Kurt went to find Blaine and the rest of the family members in the basement. He offered his hand in support to Blaine, but it made little difference. Blaine's Christmas spirit was already broken.

The rest of the evening went by with only some minor ill-suited comments from Cooper, none of which were aimed at Blaine. No one mentioned the conversation that went down in the bedroom, instead everybody did their best to have a pleasant and merry Christmas Eve. The general atmosphere was happy, they were eating and drinking and laughing, but Kurt could tell Blaine's heart wasn't in it though he tried his best to hide it.

When the sleeping arrangements had been sorted out - Blaine's parents in the guest room downstairs, with Cooper on the pull out couch, and Burt and Carole in Kurt and Blaine's bedroom (both of them protesting against taking their bed, but Kurt and Blaine insisting it was what they wanted) - and everyone had said goodnight, Kurt found Blaine in the single foldable bed set up in the living room.

The Christmas tree lights had been turned off, leaving the room dark and eerie. Everything was quiet except for Blaine's uneven breathing and the big grandfather clock tick-tocking beside the bed. Blaine looked so tiny from where Kurt was standing by the door frame, the figure of his body all curled up and hidden under the covers with only his curls sticking up. Kurt looked up at the mistletoe hanging above him wishing he'd gotten the chance to kiss Blaine after their families arrived. He'd wanted nothing more on several occasions - to pull Blaine close and kiss away the crestfallen look on his face - but Blaine had closed himself off after the incident. Kurt felt so bad about letting himself get drawn into it. That he'd let it go on without stopping it when he knew that scenario was exactly what Blaine had feared the most.

Kurt stepped away from the door frame and padded over to the bed. He lifted the covers and slipped under, the bed squeaked as he did. He slid his arms around his husband and held him tight. Blaine's hair, still damp from his shower, smelled of sandalwood, vanilla and tangerine. It was Kurt's favorite scent and sometimes when Blaine wasn't at home he'd borrow his shampoo just so that he could still smell Blaine around him. Now Kurt had Blaine next to him, but he was worried it would be like Blaine wasn't there, that he would continue to close himself off. To his relief he could feel Blaine relax and lean into his touch.

"I'm sorry today was…" Kurt couldn't even find a word to describe what today had been.

"My mother is turning into a drunk." Blaine sighed and though he was facing the wall with Kurt spooning him, Kurt could tell Blaine was silently crying. He held him tighter, wishing he could take some of his worries and make it his own.

"She's not, Blaine." Sure Pam had an eggnog or two since they arrived, and something to calm her nerves before getting onto the plane, and yes, some wine during dinner, but that did not make her a drunk.

Kurt took a strand of hair and played with it between his fingertips, he knew how much Blaine loved it when he did that. He wondered if Blaine talked about his mom because he still couldn't deal with talking about his dad and what he had said.

"Those stops along the way was not because she needed to use the restroom. It was so that she could take another drink from the flask she's got in her purse."

"Really?" Kurt felt himself frown. It didn't sound like the Pam he knew, then again he didn't know her very well.

"It's what she does when she's nervous."

"Nervous? But why would she be nervous? She's met us all before."

"She's worried about making a fool of herself in front of Burt and Carole." Blaine sniffed quietly.

"But it's the drinking that's making her…"

"I know. Ironic, huh?" Blaine sighed again. "This was a terrible idea. Tomorrow is going to be a disaster."

"No, why do you say that?"

"Because it's true. My family isn't like yours. Burt and Carole are the kindest people I know, they're sweet and caring, and well-functioning and I love them to pieces. But my family-"

"Is your family," Kurt cut off softly. "We've all met them before, we know what they're like, which isn't as bad as you think, and whether you believe me or not we love them just the way they are."

"Even my dad?" Blaine asked incredulously.

"Even your dad," Kurt confirmed. Michael might have his doubts about them but Kurt was determined to prove him wrong and win him over. "He's only looking out for you. In his own way."

"But you haven't seen my family at Christmas. My mother drinks too much eggnog and gets too loud." Blaine tensed in Kurt's arms, worrying too much again.

"Then we'll hide the eggnog."

"My father is gonna keep pestering you about your play, and me about money and our decision to buy our house, because he can't let things go. I don't think I can do this all over again tomorrow."

"I'll just print him what I have written so far, so he can see what a _masterpiece_ I'm working on," Kurt said theatrically, "isn't a waste of time. It should keep him busy and out of our way for a few hours."

"I love you for saying that, but you shouldn't have to. He should learn how to know when enough is enough."

"If it gets him to shut up and for you to stop worrying, then I'll happily do it." Kurt would do anything for Blaine to relax and have the Christmas of his dreams. Kurt would do anything for Blaine period.

"And Cooper… well Cooper just don't know when to stop." Blaine continued on his mental list of things that would make Christmas a disaster.

"Cooper we might not be able to do much about," Kurt smiled. "I know you think he's inappropriate-"

"He is!"

"Okay, yes, he is, and he might get a kick out of embarrassing you, but he only says those things because he cares about you and because he loves you. It's his weird way of showing you that."

The bed squeaked as Blaine turned around in Kurt's arms, cupped his cheeks with both hands and pulled him into a fierce kiss. The kiss tasted like toothpaste and tears. "This is my way of showing you that I love you," Blaine said, his forehead still pressed to Kurt's.

"I love you, too," Kurt said, out of breath from the intensity of the kiss. "Tomorrow is going to be magical. You know why?"

Blaine shook his head slowly, rubbing his forehead against Kurt's.

"Because it's the first Christmas in our _house_ , in our first home together."

"This is not our first home togeth-"

Kurt placed a finger on Blaine's lips. "Sssh, don't ruin my moment with technicalities." His voice was warm and teasing. "It's our first Christmas in our first home and we're spending it with the people that matter the most to us. They might not be perfect, but neither are we. I care too much about everything being perfect and you care too much about making everyone else happy, completely forgetting yourself. But no matter what, we love them and they love us and we're lucky to have them all gathered here."

Blaine kissed Kurt again, gentler this time. His fingers graced Kurt's jawline, his thumb brushed over his cheek. "You're right. You're always right."

"I know, that's why you married me."

Blaine smiled and slid his hand down to pinch Kurt's butt. " _This_ is why I married you. Don't get any crazy ideas in your head."

Kurt laughed and ignored his husband's inappropriate insinuations. His Blaine, his warm, caring and funny Blaine was back and he could be as inappropriate as he liked because Kurt got to see that beautiful smile and call him his husband. "I don't care about your reasons as long as you'll always love me."

"Always."

The word was uttered with such seriousness it made Kurt shiver and his laughter die out. Blaine was so beautiful, inside and out, that it sometimes hurt to be in his presence. He was this precious, rare, adorable human being that had changed Kurt's life from the moment he stepped into it and every single day since. Kurt still couldn't believe that this was real, that this was his life.

"Look, it's snowing again," Blaine whispered. The excitement was back in his voice.

Kurt shifted to look over his shoulder, the bed squeaked as he did. Their outdoor Christmas tree was still glowing and against its lights he saw fat snowflakes falling slowly, like feathers, to the ground. Kurt turned back to Blaine, kissed him once, feeling his heart speed up when Blaine's soft lips touched his.

"I'm sorry today didn't turn out the way you wanted," he said.

"It's okay," Blaine smiled, "at least the ending is turning out to be pretty perfect."

Their old, dark brown, wooden grandfather clock struck midnight. Each stroke sounded like thunder from where it stood beside their bed. They laid still and listened until the clock silenced.

"Merry Christmas." Kurt's hand found Blaine's and he pulled their clasped hands between their bodies, resting them against Blaine's chest. Underneath layers of skin and muscles, he could feel Blaine's heart beating.

Blaine found Kurt's mouth in a tender kiss, so slow and soft it made Kurt's pulse flutter. "Merry Christmas." Blaine's lips barely left Kurt's as he spoke.

No matter how tomorrow unfolded, Kurt would always remember the first Christmas they spent as husbands, in their first house, sleeping on the small fold-able bed that squeaked every time someone shifted, next to the big clock that would wake them up once an hour, with their families present, and Blaine telling him he would always love him. He could not think of a single thing he wanted to change.


	7. Santa's Super Sleigh

**Santa's Super Sleigh**

 **by lilyvandersteen**

Chapter 1: Something Good Will Come Your Way

Blaine shivered as he got out of his car and quickly hurried to the Starbucks just opposite the shopping mall. He'd scored a barista job there for the Christmas holidays, which was great because he really needed the money. The early hours, though, had made him wince when his alarm went off that morning. Ugh.

Ten minutes later, he was taking orders, answering questions about Starbucks' vegetarian and vegan selections and making people's drinks like the seasoned pro he was, and the manager nodded approvingly and left him to it.

One hour bled into another, and way sooner than he would have thought, his shift was over, and he was taking off his apron and putting his coat back on.

By now, the mall was open, and as he walked past, he saw that it was crowded. The atmosphere was festive, though, and he could hear live singing. Curious, he ventured into the mall, and followed his ears to a roped-off area dubbed "Santa's Corner", complete with carolling elves and plastic reindeer under a glittery yoke pulling a sleigh filled with fake presents in shiny wrapping paper and gold and silver ribbons. A very young-looking Santa with an athlete's body held court there, listening to children's gift wishes while their parents took pictures.

The elves were great singers. At first listen, they seemed to be all girls, but when Blaine came a bit closer to enjoy their performance to the fullest, he noticed he was mistaken. Two of them were girls, yes, dressed in a way that would appeal both to the children and their dads. But the third elf was a guy, and from the moment Blaine clapped eyes on him, he was mesmerised.

The male elf was gorgeous, filling out his costume to perfection. Green and red tights clung to long muscled legs and a delectable booty. Green and red sleeves showed off shoulders and biceps that made Blaine drool. Well, he knew what he'd be asking Santa this year: the phone number of his yummiest elf helper.

He hummed along under his breath to the tune they were singing:

" _If you never cuss or cheat or lie_

 _And you've always been as nice as pie_

 _Then something good will come your way_

 _From_ _Santa's super sleigh_ "

Blaine grinned, still focussed on the Yummiest Elf. _I'll hold you to that, Santa!_

Blaine's phone buzzed. He checked it, yelped and hurried away. He'd promised his mom to help her decorate tables for her charity Christmas dinner, and he only had a quarter of an hour left to get to the venue! Oh man, if he ran late, he'd never hear the end of it!

K&B

The next day began even colder. By the time Blaine reached the mall, his nose was running, and his fingers were so frozen that they refused to work properly. Luckily, he was five minutes early, so he had the time to blow his nose, wash his hands and then hold them in front of the oven to warm them up. When the timer dinged to announce that the pastries were done, Blaine's hands were fully functional again, and he hastened to stock the pastry case and get ready for a stream of thirsty and hungry customers.

After his shift, he made a beeline for Santa's Corner, and beamed when he saw that the same elves were there again, singing their hearts out. One of the girls winked at him, and he hastily looked away to Santa. It was an older man today, who was having his beard tugged by tiny twin girls.

 _Ouch, that must hurt!_

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and a moment later, a tinny version of Hungry as the Wolf/Rio started to play.

Blaine sent an apologetic look at the carolling elves and hastened away, answering his phone as soon as he was outside.

"Blainey… Please come and help me? Chrissy is ill, and the girls are under the weather too. I can't deal with them all by myself. I'm drowning here!"

Blaine sighed. "I'll be right there, Coop. So what is it they have? Not a stomach bug, I hope? I can't afford to catch that."

"Chrissy has a migraine. A really bad one. She'll be out for a few days. The girls have runny noses and a cough."

"Right. See you in a few."

An hour later, piece reigned in the Anderson-Garcia household. Blaine had worked his magic until everyone but him was asleep.

Blaine passed his hand over his eyes with a weary sigh, thinking that he'd quite like a nap himself, only the sofa was full of children's toys. He cleared it, and then saw that the rest of the living room looked like a pink bomb had exploded, so he tidied that up, too. After that, he turned his attention to the table, which was full of dirty dishes and what looked like spilled milk. Blaine cleaned the table, stocked the dishwasher and started a wash cycle.

He sank onto the sofa and let the gentle hum of the dishwasher lull him to sleep.

K&B

Blaine stayed over at Cooper's place that night, to help out with the children and to make sure they didn't disturb Chrissy, who was still suffering from her migraine, and only moaned piteously whenever Coop stuck his head into the bedroom to ask if she wanted something to eat.

"I'll take that as a no, then," Coop sighed as he retreated from the bedroom at dinner time. "She's going to STARVE if she doesn't eat anything soon."

"Shhhh! Inside voice!" Blaine berated him. "Maybe you were just too loud. I'll try and get her to eat something after I'm done feeding Vicky."

True to his word, he made Chrissy a tray with a sandwich, a glass of orange juice and a bowl of soup. She whimpered when he suggested putting the light on to eat, so he lit a candle instead and helped her as best he could in the semi-darkness.

"Thank you," Chrissy whispered, and buried herself under the covers again.

Blaine dropped a kiss on top of her head and disappeared with the tray.

He made sure to be extra silent when he left for work the next day, and after his shift, he went straight back to Cooper's, without even stopping at Santa's Corner to see the Yummiest Elf again.

"Please take them out to the park or something," Cooper implored him as soon as he came in. "They've been little beasts all morning."

Blaine clapped his hands. "Okay, girls, I'm kidnapping you for the afternoon so that your mommy and daddy can get some rest!"

Blaine bundled the girls up in their coats and hats and scarves and mittens, and promised them a fun outing. He shivered when he went outside again, though. No, the park wasn't a good idea on a cold day like this. Building snowmen when Daisy and Vicky were already sniffling and coughing would only make them sicker. But maybe they'd like to go and see Santa?

That plan got a resounding YES from both of his nieces, and they set off for the mall.

Once, inside, Blaine saw that the queue to visit Santa was long, but neither he nor the girls cared. Daisy and Vicky were loud in their exuberance, though. Their shrieks made the parents in the queue send Blaine dirty looks. Blaine was quick to shush his nieces and apologise to the nearest-standing mother, who looked mollified, and asked if it was the girls' first time meeting Santa.

As soon as the woman was distracted by her own brood, Blaine zoomed in on the carolling elves. The Yummiest Elf was looking in his direction, and smiled at him.

The taller girl was now crooning _Santa Baby_ , in a performance that was way too sexy to be child-friendly. Not that any of the children paid attention to her. Only the dads looked. And drooled.

The other elves provided backup harmonies, and sometimes rolled their eyes when the sexy elf made suggestive moves as she sang.

" _And hurry down the chimney tonight!_ "

The parents applauded politely, and one dad cat-called, but was berated by his angry wife, who shoved a camera into his hands. "Stop being gross and take some pictures of Madelyn before her turn is over!"

Blaine bit back a grin, and when Vicky tugged at his sleeve and asked how long they'd still have to wait, he told her to listen to the elves to make time pass more quickly. "Look, aren't they pretty?"

"I can't see!" she wailed, and Blaine lifted her up quickly before she annoyed the other people in Santa's Corner.

"Oh, Uncle Blaine, the boy elf is looking at you!" she announced, still too loudly, and Blaine heard someone snigger behind him. He didn't dare check if she was right, but felt his ear tips burn with embarrassment.

The next song was _All I Want For Christmas Is You_ , and Blaine hummed along happily, swaying to and fro with Vicky and twirling Daisy around.

The queue dwindled. Only three more children in front of them. Blaine was glad. He didn't know how much longer he'd be able to keep his nieces happy while waiting to see Santa. They were sure to start complaining soon.

And yes, when the next child trotted off towards Santa, Daisy asked, "Is it nearly our turn, Uncle Blaine?"

"Yes, sweetie. Just a few more minutes."

Thankfully, he was right. It only took one more song. But Blaine, who'd been happily singing along to _Jingle Bells_ , had not expected the girls to suddenly get an attack of shyness when the shopping mall attendant gestured that they could go to Santa and talk to him.

Neither Vicky nor Daisy wanted to budge, whatever Blaine said to them. The parents and children behind them started to grumble, and Blaine knew the girls would lose their turn if he didn't think of a solution quickly. So he said, "I'm coming with you, okay? I'll be there with you the whole time."

He took his nieces by the hand and went up to Santa, explaining that they didn't dare talk to him on their own.

Santa laughed heartily, and joked that Blaine could sit on his lap instead of the girls, laughing even harder when Blaine took him up on the offer.

Daisy and Vicky loved it, though. Gradually, they got over their shy attack and started chattering Santa's ear off.

When they left Santa's Corner, their eyes were shining like stars, and Blaine had a hard time catching up with them in their exuberance.

He ended up taking them to the Starbucks where he worked, for hot chocolate. His manager and colleagues cooed over his cute nieces, and gave them a plate of cinnamon cookies on the house, and some paper and a pen so they could draw.

Blaine lingered at the coffee shop for a while longer, determined to give Cooper and Chrissy some more time to themselves. After another hour, though, Vicky's eyes started to droop, and he knew he had to get the girls home and into bed.

He thanked his manager for the cookies, and set off for Cooper's place with Vicky on his arm, a dead weight now that she was so tired.

Blaine wasn't sure what scene they'd be coming home to. Last time he'd taken his nieces out for an afternoon, there had been loud moans coming from the direction of the master bedroom when they'd stepped into the apartment.

Now, all was quiet, thankfully. Chrissy was in the kitchen, eating, and came to help divest the girls of their outerwear. "Thank you, Blaine. I'm feeling much better."

Blaine smiled at his sister-in-law. "Good. I think this one's down for the count. I'm going to put her to bed. Daisy, you tell your mom what you want for dinner, but keep your voice down, okay?"

When he came back, he grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl and bit into it. "Where's Cooper, anyway?"

Chrissy grinned. "Out grocery-shopping. I told him he had to wait until after the children were in bed. After what happened the other time, I thought it was for the best."

"Good call!"

K&B

After his shift at Starbucks the next morning, the manager took him aside and asked if he could stay a few hours longer. "You'd really help me out, bud. Cathy just called that her son is ill, so she won't be able to come in. I asked Stephanie to take over the shift, but she can't make it here until three PM. And I'm needed at home, the missus just called. I'll pay you double time. Please."

Blaine nodded and donned his apron again. "I understand. No problem."

Now that Chrissy was better, he wasn't needed at Cooper's, and his mom would think he was still at his brother's and wouldn't bug him either, so he'd take the extra hours and the double pay gladly.

"Thanks, Blaine!" the manager shouted, halfway out the door already.

The early afternoon was pretty calm, and Blaine softly sang Christmas carols as he wiped tables, put several batches of cookies in the oven and made fancy coffees for harried shoppers.

The only notable incident was a drunk guy stumbling in and slurring, "Heeeeey… Can I get (hiccup) a cup of (hiccup) eggnog here?"

Blaine bit back a grin and answered, "No, sir, I'm afraid not."

The guy's face fell. "Oh…"

Seconds later, he perked up again. "Heeeey… You guys (hiccup) sell food, right? *Burp* Sorry! I'm so (hiccup) huuuungry…"

"We do, yes. We have…"

"I want (hiccup) latkes," the guy interrupted him. "Latkes with (hiccup) apple sauce."

Blaine shook his head, internally giggling at the guy's total lack of realism. "I'm sorry, sir. We don't sell latkes. If you want something festive, we do have a Holiday Turkey & Stuffing Panini, which is really good."

"Festive… (hiccup) Yes, that's good. Yes. (hiccup) Gimme that."

Blaine made the panini and rang it up. The money the guy handed him was sticky, and Blaine grimaced at the transaction, promising himself he'd go wash his hands as soon as this customer had left the premises.

"Festive…" the guy murmured, pocketing his change and stuffing his mouth with bread and turkey, which he swallowed without chewing. "Now what (hiccup) does that make me (hiccup) think of?"

He slapped his forehead. "The beer festival! All you can (hiccup) drink! I'm going there! Beer's (hiccup) better than eggnog!"

And off he went, in a hurry.

Blaine chuckled and went to wash his hands, after which he resumed singing and taking the orders of the occasional customer, checking the clock every now and then. A few minutes after Stephanie should have arrived to replace him, he took out the last batch of cookies out of the oven when the timer dinged.

"Can I have one of those?" a high voice behind him said. "They smell amazing! Plus a grande non-fat mocha, please."

Blaine turned around with his patented customer smile, but it quickly broadened into something real and warm when he saw who'd just placed his order. It was the Yummiest Elf! Still in costume and everything!

"What name should I put on the cup?" he asked.

Yummiest Elf laughed. "I'm the only client here at the moment, so you can't mix up my order with anyone else's, can you?"

Blaine pouted.

Yummiest Elf's eyes widened, and he breathed, "Now that isn't fair. You look like a kicked puppy! I feel awful."

"So tell me your name?"

"It's Kurt."

Blaine beamed at Kurt. "I'm Blaine. One mocha coming right up!"

A moment later, Blaine handed Kurt his mocha and the requested cookie. "Tell you what. This is on the house if you let me join you for my coffee break."

Kurt cocked his head to the side. "Like… Like a date?"

Blaine grinned. "Yes. A coffee date. As soon as my replacement turns up."

Kurt stared at him for a few seconds, and then nodded, the corners of his mouth ticking up. "Okay."

Blaine made himself a coffee, too, and frosted some snowman cookies until Stephanie arrived, out of breath and full of apologies for running late.

"No worries, Steph!"

She looked at his radiant expression. "Okay, whatever happy pills you're on, I want one too."

"No can do," Blaine sing-songed. "I haven't taken anything, honestly."

"Then what's with the smiles and the skipping around?"

Blaine looked at the table where Kurt was sipping his mocha, and felt his grin stretch ear to ear. "I've got a date. With the Yummiest Elf in the world."

Chapter 2: Look Who's Coming Round the Bend

Kurt looked around, taking in his new work environment, and shuddered.

Whoever had decorated Santa's Corner had gone all out, and then some. The backdrop looked like Santa's workshop, with Christmas stockings hanging from the roof, big double doors flanked by gingerbread men lit by led lights on a wire and plastic candy canes that towered over Kurt's head. There was a big sleigh filled with fake presents, a red and gold throne for Santa to sit on and a mini piano.

You'd think at that point the decorators would have run out of momentum, but you'd have been wrong. There were also Christmas trees all around Santa's Corner, with so many ornaments hanging in them that you could barely see their boughs anymore.

The perky shopping mall manager handed Kurt his work uniform, and he struggled not to let his horror show.

"My dads found us the PERFECT job for our Christmas break!" Rachel had said. "We get to perform together every day. It's going to be wonderful!"

Kurt looked at the set again and grimaced. He looked at the outfit he'd been given, and winced.

 _Perfect, my ass! What an attack on the senses! And that's before adding large_ _quantities_ _of loud whiny children…_

But it was a job, meaning he'd have money to go Black Friday shopping, so he would just have to grin and bear it.

A few hours later, he was in his elf costume, singing about holly wreaths and mistletoe, and checking out the unexpectedly hot Santa. A replacement, because apparently, the usual Santa was ill.

Kurt wondered how the parents explained this way too young Santa to their children. He didn't even have a beard! What would they say? "Oh, Santa couldn't make it, so he sent his deputy." Or maybe they'd pretend this was Santa's son?

Kurt let his eyes rove over the crowd idly, and realised to his surprise that somebody was looking at him. No, looking him over, slowly, and with an expression that showed he liked what he saw.

It made Kurt smile for real, and sing with more gusto than before. He wasn't looking for a hook-up while he was in Lima for the holidays, but he wouldn't exclude it either, if an occasion presented itself.

" _It's_ _Santa's super sleieieieigh_!" the trio of elves harmonised, ending the song on a high note, and a few people applauded.

Kurt sneaked another look at the cute curly-haired guy who'd been checking him out just now, and was just in time to see him running away.

 _Oh, would you look at that ass… I wish he'd hung around a while longer, though._

His smile sagged a little. It had been nice to be someone's centre of attention for a moment. The children only had eyes for Santa, of course. The moms only focussed on their children. And the dads ogled Santana and Rachel, and at best ignored Kurt. At worst, they threw him disgusted looks.

Mr Curly Cutie, though, had looked at Kurt as though he were the most delicious piece of cheesecake he'd ever seen. Santana had grinned and winked at Kurt, and even Rachel had noticed, ramming her elbow in Kurt's ribs and pointing her chin in his admirer's direction. If the guy had stayed until the end of the song, Kurt might have headed his way for a minute and let the girls hold the fort while he talked to him.

Unfortunately, the universe had other plans for him. But hey, maybe Mr Curly Cutie would be back one of these days? A guy could hope, right?

Rachel started _The Twelve Gifts of Christmas_ , and Kurt chimed in on autopilot.

"Too bad about the cute hobbit," Santana murmured in his ear. "Not really your type, I know, but good enough to spend time with over Christmas break."

Rachel threw Santana a glare, and Santana rolled her eyes and started to sing, too.

Kurt was a bit taken aback by the comment about his 'type'. Yes, he had a tendency to crush on guys who were taller than him, and his only boyfriend so far had been blond. But Mr Curly Cutie was EVERYBODY's type, he was pretty sure. Yes, maybe a bit shorter than average, but classically handsome. That jawline! That smile! Those eyes! And he had muscles for days. Kurt could just imagine those thighs clamped around his back as he…

Oops, now Rachel was glaring at HIM. Well. She did have a point. He was at work. He'd keep the fantasies for tonight at bedtime.

Kurt straightened his back, plastered a big smile on his face and sang:

" _On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me_

 _A hammered aluminum_ _nutcracker_ _, and all that other stuff_

 _And a Japanese transistor radio_ "

K&B

The second day, Mr Curly Cutie was back, but he left after barely a minute.

"Well, he's certainly gay," Santana remarked.

Kurt shot her a puzzled look.

"I winked at him, and that scared him off."

Kurt glared at Santana and swore under his breath.

"Language!" Rachel hissed, never missing a beat when she picked up the song again after admonishing him.

" _Ring out these bells_

 _Ring out, ring_ _solstice_ _bells_

 _Ring solstice bells_ "

Kurt sighed and faced forward again with a fake smile, singing along.

 _Let's hope Santana hasn't scared off that cutie for good._

She hadn't, thankfully. The next day, Mr Curly Cutie arrived later than usual, towards the end of Kurt's shift, with two adorable little girls in tow, who squealed and clapped their hands when they spotted Santa.

Kurt saw Mr Curly Cutie wince at their loudness, and sympathised with him and all the parents waiting in the queue for Santa. Well, if the guy was a parent… He looked too young to have a six-year-old and a toddler, but what did Kurt know, right?

Mr Curly Cutie looked exhausted, but when his eyes found Kurt's, his face lit up like a Christmas tree. Kurt smiled back, a genuine smile this time, and sang a little louder.

Maybe the guy was single? He wasn't wearing a wedding ring, and he wouldn't be checking Kurt out and beaming at him if he were in a relationship, would he? Yep, probably a single parent. Hmm, not ideal, but hardly a deal-breaker. The girls were adorable, and quite well-behaved.

Two carols later, it was their turn to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas, and now, they seemed a little less enthusiastic. The toddler hid behind Mr Curly Cutie's leg, and even the six-year-old made no move to get closer to Santa, in spite of their father's coaxing.

In the end, Mr Curly Cutie sat down on Santa's lap himself, holding the toddler and keeping his arm around the older girl. Now, they chatted with Santa happily enough, and then skipped off as fast as they could, their father in hot pursuit.

Kurt chuckled.

"Focus, Kurt!" Rachel hissed, and Kurt dutifully stopped following the cute trio with his eyes.

 _Too bad he didn't stay a little longer. We're off duty in twenty minutes. Ah well… Maybe he'll be back tomorrow?_

K&B

The next day was full of disasters.

Kurt's car wouldn't start when he wanted to drive to the mall, and he had to ask Finn to bring him. Then, when Finn drove away again, he accidentally drove into a big puddle, splashing icy murky water all over Kurt, which ruined his clothes, soaking through all of his layers. Kurt ran to the mall quickly, shivering, and changed into his elf costume, knowing that he had no other choice than to keep the costume on until he would be home again.

To top things off, Kurt saw hide nor hair of Mr Curly Cutie during his shift, and afterwards, he stood in the cold parking lot, freezing his butt off for ten minutes waiting for Finn, who didn't arrive to pick him up from the mall. When he called him, he got his voice mail. Of course. It was going to be one of those days, clearly.

He decided to call his dad instead, and go back into the mall to warm up. Then his eye fell on the Starbucks sign beckoning him, and he grinned. A mocha was just what he needed right now as a pick-me-up, and maybe a sugary snack.

He stepped inside and let the heat and the delicious smells wash over him, rubbing his hands to get them warm again.

The coffee shop seemed deserted, but Kurt could hear someone humming behind the counter. He followed the sound and was treated to a delectable sight. The barista was bending over to take a tray out of the oven, and in doing so presented a very nice butt.

 _Yum! And the cookies smell good, too._

Kurt placed his order, and then got a happy surprise when the barista turned around and proved to be none other than Mr Curly Cutie!

Well… Perhaps his luck had turned…

Mr Curly Cutie smiled widely at Kurt, and asked for his name, although there was no-one else about.

Kurt played it coyly, not wanting to seem too eager, but relented when Mr Curly Cutie slayed him with a puppy-eyed pout.

Before Kurt knew it, he'd gotten a free mocha and cookie, plus a date! Oh yes, this day was certainly looking up!

Kurt bit into the cookie and moaned. Oh, this was good! In two bites, the sugary treat was gone, and Kurt chased every stray crumb on his plate.

Nearly an hour later, Kurt and the cute barista, whose name was Blaine, were discussing the latest episode of Hoarders when Kurt's phone rang.

It was Finn, who'd finally remembered he was supposed to pick up Kurt at the mall. "Where are you, dude? I can't see you anywhere on the parking lot."

"Finn, you're over an HOUR late! Why would I still be standing in the parking lot waiting for you? I'm in the Starbucks just opposite the mall. Stay where you are, and I'll be right there!"

"Okay. Sorry, dude, I forgot."

"I figured," Kurt snapped, and hung up on Finn.

He stood up with a sigh, and said to Blaine, "Well, my brother is here, so I have to go, I'm afraid. But this was fun. Could I… maybe get your phone number so that we can meet up again?"

Blaine beamed at him, and quickly swapped phones with Kurt to type in his digits.

Kurt left with a lingering look and a wave, and then hurried to the parking lot to ream out his idiot brother. When he saw Finn's sheepish look, though, he swallowed what he was going to say and just got into the car without any comment. After all, if not for Finn's negligence, he wouldn't have met Blaine, and scored his phone number and a date.

"Sorry…" Finn said again, and then pledged, "I won't forget again."

Kurt huffed. "Just get us home, okay?"

His phone dinged, and Kurt smiled when he saw the message.

"Same time, same place tomorrow?"


	8. Silent NightSort Of

**Silent Night…Sort Of.**

By kellyb321

Thursday afternoon found Kurt sitting next to Mercedes in the choir room, pinching the bridge of his nose and wondering how long he'd have to endure the nonsense. It was that time of year again, when Sue Sylvester stuck her nose into the glee club's business and everything immediately turned into a shit show. Rachel was bellowing, as usual, about the upcoming competition and how they'd "never be able to compete if they couldn't even _get there_ …" and how "the costumes they had to choose from just wouldn't do!"

"Lord, boy, I am going to haul my butt up outta this chair and stick my foot right up her a—"

"Mercedes!" Kurt hissed, trying to hold back a smile. He wanted to do the very same thing on more than one occasion, but unfortunately Rachel had a point this time.

Sue had appropriated their funds, once again, for the Cheerios, and even the Unholy Trinity couldn't get her to come around. Unfortunately, the school rules stated that any school sanctioned trip had to be taken using a school district vehicle, which had to be paid for by the club, team or group that needed it. Gas wasn't free, and someone from the district had to be paid to drive the bus, which required a special license that certainly none of them had. Somehow, Sue had convinced Figgins that the money the glee kids had raised during their previous fund raisers should be given to the Cheerios, since three of her National Champion Cheerios were in the glee club.

"Rachel, as much as I understand your…concern…we have to stop ranting and come up with an actual solution to our dilemma. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how we might quickly raise some money for our transportation and competition costumes?" Will Schuester asked.

Artie raised his hand and Will called on him with a smile. "We could always have another bake sale."

"I don't think that's such a good plan, considering how well Puck's pot brownies went over last time with the administration, but we'll keep it on the back burner as a last resort," Will said. Artie just nodded, recalling how they'd all been threatened with suspension the previous Spring.

"How about a car wash?" Brittany asked, excitement clear in her voice and her expression.

"Britt…it's five days before Christmas…in Ohio. It's way too cold to have a car wash, although that was a great suggestion…for next summer," Santana soothed Brittany when she saw her pouting. Brittany brightened right away and nodded, already planning for warmer weather.

"How about we hold a concert?" Finn asked, eyes wide and hopeful. "We could sell tickets and—"

"After the crap-fest that was "Night of Neglect" you think that's a valid idea? Nobody will show up and we'll be the laughing stock _again_ ," Quinn retorted, rolling her eyes.

"We could go caroling?" Mercedes piped up with a jaunty tilt to her head. When everyone turned to give her a doubtful glance, she explained. "Hear me out. At my church we always go caroling. At the end of our songs we always thank them for listening and ask if they'd like to offer a small donation to the local food pantry. People are pretty generous during the holidays and we're always able to make a sizable contribution to the local food bank. Just a thought…" she trailed off.

"You know how well it went last time we tried caroling, though," Finn mumbled.

"Someone threw a shoe at me," Rachel grumbled.

"No, that was me." Everyone snickered as Santana examined the fingernail she'd just filed. Rachel turned to glare at her until Puck interrupted.

"You know…that might not be a bad idea. Mercedes is right. People are pretty generous during the holidays. Last year when I stole that old guy's bell and red kettle and set up my own little donation spot in front of the grocery store I made a small fortune in a couple hours…until the cops showed up, anyway. If we go to a neighborhood where nobody knows us, and we don't run the risk of anyone from McKinley turning the hose on us, we might just make this work."

Will stood at the front of the room watching them all consider the option.

"And we can go somewhere where nobody knows us?" Kurt asked, recalling the slushie thrown in his face the last time they caroled at school.

Will nodded. "We can't really consider this a school sanctioned event and get buses to take you anywhere, though. We're obviously already tight on money. You guys would have to drive your own cars and meet up at the appointed time and place, and not a word of this to anyone at school. If Sue finds out, she'll put the kibosh on the whole thing."

"You make it sound like you won't be there," Santana stated, eyes squinted in curiosity.

"Unfortunately, I can't join you. We'll be leaving tomorrow evening for Emma's grandparents' cabin up in Maine. I won't be back until after Christmas. So…whadda ya say, guys? Do you wanna give this a try?"

Everyone shrugged, then looked around at everyone else.

"Well, unless someone else has a great idea, I say we try it. We don't really have any other options and time is running out. Unless we want to forfeit, we have to do something and this is as good as anything. At least we already know a good number of songs from last year's fiasco…er…event," Kurt said with as much disinterest as he could muster.

"I say we head to a rich neighborhood," Puck suggested.

"What neighborhoods tip the best when you clean their pools?" Finn's question took them all by surprise, as nobody really thought he was even listening. Rachel had been hissing in his ear the whole time.

"There's really not anywhere around here where people either don't know us or will tip us well. I say we head out further and try our luck. I have detention tonight and tomorrow, though, so I can't do it then," Puck explained.

Santana nodded along. "Me too," she grinned.

"Me too," Brittany grinned as well, blushing profusely.

"I don't even wanna know," Kitty mumbled, then rolled her eyes at the couple.

"We could head to Westerville. Isn't that where the Ritchie-Riches all live?" Quinn asked, slumped in her seat as much as she was able while still attempting to sit primly.

"Hey, that's not a bad idea," Puck answered. "I worked there with a friend of mine my first summer cleaning pools and made enough money over those three months to buy my first car. They have the money and they don't mind giving it to those of us who are poor and less fortunate…and hot, of course," he grinned. "And there are some seriously sexy moms out there, too," he winked.

"If there is a divine being, I hope he or she saves us from this insanity," Kurt whispered to Mercedes.

"Oh, Kurt. We'll just stick together and have a good time with or without these crazies. C'mon, Boo, try to have a little fun," she laughed.

"So, it's decided?" Will asked.

"Not so fast, I have to work at the shop this weekend and Rachel is out of town with her dads," Finn said. "If Puck, Santana and Britt all have detention today and tomorrow, and Rachel and I are out for Saturday and Sunday, that leaves Monday—"

"Christmas Eve?" Kurt bellowed. "No. I'm not doing that…Christmas Eve is for family, Finn. We'll have to go without you and Rachel—"

"WHAT? Go without us? Have you lost your mind, Kurt?" Rachel bellowed "As if you could—"

"Oh for shit's sake, Berry, it's not as if we couldn't function without you and Frankenteen! Just because—"

"ENOUGH!" Will hollered and got all of their attention. "Kurt, what if you went early on Christmas Eve, say around 4 pm? You could sing for a couple hours and be home by dinner time. By then you'll all be frozen and ready to come home anyway. You won't have to drive into a strange town in the dark if you leave a bit earlier, either, and you can find the streets with the biggest houses," Will suggested.

Kurt huffed out a long breath, glaring at Finn, and finally spoke. "Fine, but you're explaining to Carol and Dad why we won't be home on Christmas Eve, Finn."

"I will, don't worry about it. It'll be fine," Finn grinned. "Maybe we can all come back to our house for hot chocolate afterward and we can watch a Christmas movie? Kurt makes this killer gingerbread men that are to die for, too. I've already eaten like a dozen of 'em!"

"You what!?" Kurt boomed. Finn ducked his head and slumped into his chair again.

"Oh, hell yeah! Diehard!" Puck yelled out, and Artie whooped his agreement.

"Oh my God, Diehard is not a Christmas movie…" Kurt huffed.

"Of course it is!" Finn replied, looking as if Kurt had lost his mind.

"It so is, yo…" Artie added, high-fiving Finn.

"Don't fret, Kurt. We can go to your room and watch Scrooged. I know you love that movie," Mercedes suggested.

"Only because it's the best Christmas movie out there," Kurt replied, looking down his nose as if that was common knowledge, of course.

"Ok, time's up—" Will began, but the bell sounded just then and they all jumped from their chairs to leave. "I'll see you all tomorrow!"

Friday was the last day before their winter break and Kurt couldn't wait to get out of school for almost two whole weeks. He needed the down time to properly go through is winter wardrobe, which should have been done in October, but he'd been busy preparing for glee assignments, working in the shop with his dad and spending time with his girls at the mall. Priorities. He was certain he'd get some new clothes for Christmas, so it was time to weed out any of the out-of-style pieces and make room for the new things.

Saturday afternoon he was holding up two similar sweaters, debating which one would look best with his new jeans, when his phone buzzed and vibrated on the table. Seeing the group text, Kurt rolled his eyes and hoped everyone would have to cancel their caroling fiasco. It would, no doubt, _be_ a fiasco without Mr. Schue there to hold the reigns. Without him, Rachel tended to take over and that never ended well.

 **Puck:** I say we all meet up at 3 pm at Finn and Kurt's place. If we're all going there after singing, that seems logical.

 **Finn:** Sounds good, man. The neighbors on either side of us are out of town for Christmas, so if you can't find a spot on the street, park in their driveway.

 **Kurt:** You can't just offer up the neighbors' driveways, Finn. Smh.

 **Rachel:** Kurt, you have the biggest car, so you can drive the girls.

 **Kurt:** Thank you, Rachel, for asking. I can't wait. (sarcasm)

 **Mercedes:** SHOTGUN!

 **Rachel:** But I called it!

 **Mercedes:** No, you really didn't. You volunteered Kurt to drive and said the girls would ride with him. Period. SHOTGUN!

 **Quinn:** My car is in the shop or I'd drive. Sorry. Kurt, may I bum a ride? I'll chip in for gas.

 **Kurt:** Of course, Quinn. Thank you for asking. (no sarcasm)

 **Artie:** I need our van for my chair. My mom says we can take the van but only if someone sensible drives.

 **Santana:** Well, looks like none of the boys will be driving your van, Artie. Tell your mom I'm happy to. Britt's shotgun. No arguing.

 **Brittany:** I'm against gun violence, Santana. I had to hide Lord Tubbington's Nerf collection.

 **Santana:** Britt, that's not…nevermind. You can sit next to me in the front seat, then.

 **Brittany:** Yeah! I get to pick the music!

 **Artie:** I know it's weird, but I'm glad it'll be cold out and people will have their dogs inside. Last time I went door to door for anything was in Jr. High when I was still in Boy Scouts. We were selling popcorn tins and some lady opened her door to pay us and her dogs came barreling out. I didn't know my chair could roll that fast.

 **Santana:** Holy shit, the dogs chased you!?

 **Artie:** Damn straight. That lady ran all the way down the street yelling at them to stop and they just tracked me like I was a kielbasa, yo. Dogs totally freak me out!

 **Finn:** We have your back, man!

 **Sam:** Have we even decided where we're going? Do they have any dog free neighborhoods?

 **Rachel:** I still think our best bet is to drive to Westerville. Lots of wealthy families live there and hopefully they'll be generous when they hear me sing.

 **Rachel:** When they hear us sing.

 **Mercedes:** Girl, you better check yourself….

 **Kitty:** I don't want to point out the obvious, here, but I'm going to. Isn't Dalton Academy in Westerville? What are the odds that we end up at one of the big houses belonging to one of those guys from Dalton?

 **Quinn:** A girl can hope, right?

 **Kitty:** High five, Quinn!

 **Quinn:** Back at ya, girl!

 **Mercedes:** But seriously, guys. Do we want to run that risk? We'll never live it down if the McKinley High School New Directions show up on the doorstep of one of those Dalton Warblers!

 **Artie:** Kettering could be an option.

 **Puck:** You guys are wusses. Suck it up and meet up at Kurt and Finn's at 3 pm on Monday. The Garglers won't know what hit 'em!

 **Brittany:** I thought we were singing. I don't know why we're bringing shotguns and hitting people. I'm sure those boys from that everybody-wears-a-suit-to-school place are nice.

 **Santana:** We'll be fine, Britt. There won't be any fighting…unless it's Porcelain fighting through the rest of us to snag himself a pretty boy.

 **Kurt:** Hmmmm…tempting, but I doubt any of them are up to par.

 **Rachel:** Not true, Kurt. In fact, I remember a comment made by one Kurt Hummel about a certain Warbler front man earlier in the year.

 **Kurt:** RACHEL! What part of "ok, this is between us" did you NOT UNDERSTAND? Are you dense?

 **Finn:** Does Burt know you like some rich guy from out of town?

 **Kurt:** Finn, so help me…keep your mouth shut. I don't like anyone! I'm going to kill you, Rachel Berry.

 **Santana:** So it's settled. Meet at Papa Burt's place at 3 pm on Monday. I'll get Artie, Britt and the van and meet you there. We'll pick up Kurt and his babe wagon and go find us a pretty Warbler.

 **Kurt:** I hate you all.

 **Tina:** Hey guys, what did we miss?

 **Mike:** I guess we'll just read through the hundred messages and find out.

 **Santana:** If you two weren't busy swapping spit you'd know the 411. Catch up!

Sunday was the day Kurt and Carol had set aside for the majority of their baking and Kurt couldn't contain his excitement. The previous evening he had mixed up dough that needed to be chilled and it was time to roll it out and go at it with his favorite cookie cutters. Carol concentrated on making buckeyes and they chatted amiably throughout their baking and candy making, swinging their hips from side to side to the Christmas songs on the Kurt's playlist.

Sometime after lunch, Kurt felt a niggling, little tickle in the back of his throat as he iced his cookies. By dinner time, he felt so tired that he begged off from baking and went upstairs to his room to take a nap.

He woke the following morning, Christmas Eve, barely able to believe he'd fallen asleep at 6:30 pm and then slept through the night. Still a bit sleepy, he pulled on some sweats and headed downstairs to have breakfast with his family.

"Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well? You weren't looking so hot last evening," Carol told him, her smile bright and her eyes brighter. Kurt opened his mouth to reply when his dad came up behind him from the living room, coffee cup in hand.

"Hey, Bud! Carol said you weren't feeling so great last night. You feeling any better today?"

"….."

Kurt opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out but a breathy wheeze that sounded like the noise his great-aunt Martha made when she tried to haul her butt up out of her recliner. Eyes round and surprised, Kurt tried again to no avail. His hand instantly went to his throat and he looked worriedly back and forth between Burt and Carol.

"Kurt…honey, what….?"

"Can't…speak…" Kurt barely whispered out, clearly unamused, head shaking from side to side.

"Let me get you something warm to drink," Carol offered, and set about making Kurt a cup of hot tea.

Two hours and three mugs of tea later, Kurt accepted his fate, that laryngitis had set in and he was absolutely not singing with his friends that day.

He'd gone back upstairs to get back in bed when he noticed his phone vibrating on the nightstand. Without thinking, he grabbed it and swiped to answer, but when he tried to say hello, nothing came out.

"Kurt? Are you there?" Mercedes asked. "Hello?"

He tried to say something…anything…but once again, nothing came out but a wheezing whisper. Frustrated, Kurt ended the call and immediately texted his friend.

 **Kurt:** I can't talk.

 **Mercedes:** Then why'd you answer, goof! I would have left you a message and you could have called me back!

 **Kurt:** No, I mean…I have no voice.

 **Mercedes:** Boy, I know all about being a minority and feeling like nobody hears me…like I have no voice. You don't have to tell me about all that. I'm here to listen when you want to talk. But why did you hang up on me?

 **Kurt:** No, I…Mercedes…I have no voice. I think I have laryngitis.

Kurt added a frowning emoji just to get his point across.

 **Mercedes:** Nope. No way. I'm not buying it. You didn't want to do this thing to begin with and now you're trying to back out. You're not ditching me, Kurt.

 **Kurt:** I can't sing! I can't even speak. There's no point in me going out in the cold, traipsing all over town to "sing" when I can't SING!

 **Mercedes:** I don't care if you don't sing a solitary note, you're going with me. I'm not doing this without you, Kurt. You can stand with me in the back and sway and just move your mouth, but if you bail on me, I promise to hunt down that sexy lead singer for the Warblers on social media and tell him all about your big crush on him. Don't toy with me, boy.

 **Kurt:** YOU WOULDN'T!

 **Mercedes:** Try me. I'm not spending the day with those crazy people without my partner in crime. Plus, I'm more than a little miffed that you didn't tell me about this crush to begin with and I had to hear about it from Rachel. I thought we were besties, Kurt!

 **Kurt:** I don't have a crush. I just said that I thought he had a nice voice!

 **Mercedes:** Uh huh. According to Rachel, you said he was "stunning, had gorgeous, honey colored eyes and you would listen to him sing the phone book any day". I think it's time to find out more about this "Blaine Anderson" and figure out how to get him to notice my fabulous best friend!

 **Kurt:** Mercedes, really…no. I just…I can't do that. You know I can't. He wouldn't give me a second look anyway. Have you SEEN that guy? Just let it be. Let's just go sing and have fun…if we can.

 **Mercedes:** Then you'll still go with us!?

 **Kurt:** If you promise to behave, I'll go sway in the background, but I truly can't sing.

 **Mercedes:** I'm coming over now. I'm bored and it's just a couple of hours early anyway. I'll help you wrap gifts because I know you haven't done that yet…and I'll bring your gift over. That ok?

 **Kurt:** Always! See you soon.

The ride to Westerville was loud – very, very loud. Turns out putting Mercedes, Quinn, Rachel, Kitty and Tina in the car and letting Mercedes choose the music was a recipe for…well, loud. Still, Kurt would be lying if he said they didn't have fun. He "laughed" as much as possible at them and with them as they drove, while Santana followed closely behind in Artie's mom's van with everyone else packed in like sardines.

"Well…here goes nothin'," Puck said as he nearly fell out of the van.

"Do you think it's ok to park here?" Mercedes asked, eyeing the obviously upper-class neighborhood with trepidation. While none of them were destitute, they sure didn't like in houses like this. Kurt merely shrugged and Finn assured her that it would be fine. Probably. Hopefully.

"Let's just get on it. The sooner we get started, the sooner we can head home. I'm already cold," Santana groused. "And it's barely 5:30 pm and it's already dark. It wouldn't be so dang dark if we'd left on time!" She glared at Puck and gave him a sneer. He rolled his eyes at her.

"Yeah, well, daylight savings time and all that…" Sam mumbled, staring wide-eyed at the huge homes on the street. "At least that means they all have their Christmas lights on, though, right?" His smile was wide and childish and Kurt caught Mercedes staring just a bit too long. Hmm…well, that's how it was…

Kurt hoped the first house wasn't a sign of things to come. The lights were all on inside the house, but nobody came to the door. It didn't matter. They sang anyway, and Kurt caught a few neighbors on the street peeking out their own windows at them. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He didn't really have to sing and he was hanging out with his friends. He looked absolutely dashing, too, in his newest pair of black skinny jeans and a fantastic scarf he'd treated himself to on Black Friday. Thankfully, there was no snow falling and his hair was on point.

The next four homes all answered the door and even tipped them well. The lady of the house at the last stop pointed out which homes were most likely to have someone there who'd enjoy hearing them sing, and the club all thanked her and moved on.

By 7:30 pm, they were all but frozen and ready to go home. Kurt's lips were turning purple and he even weighed the merits of stylish gloves versus warm gloves once or twice in his head.

"I say we pack it in, yo," Artie suggested, teeth chattering.

"There's only one more home on this street, you guys. I say we do the last house and then head home. Why skip this one when we've done all the others?" Rachel whined. As much as Kurt wanted to strangle her most of the time, he did envy her love of all things song related. With a groan, they all traipsed up the sidewalk to the last house on the block.

They had exhausted their song list and repeated themselves twice already, but they didn't mind, and started again with _O Holy Night,_ hopeful that they didn't offend anyone inside. Almost immediately a petite, dark-haired woman pulled the door open with a huge grin and clapped her hands together at her chest with glee.

"Oh, Henry, look! Carolers!" she exclaimed, but she focused on Kurt and frowned for a split second. He wasn't sure what he'd done, but he kept moving his mouth along with the song just as he'd done all evening. When they finished the first song, she spoke up immediately.

"Come in, come in! Please warm up a bit before you move on. I can tell that at least a few of you are near to freezing," she smiled, then winked at Kurt. Ahhh, so that was it. She'd noticed he was cold. He smiled in return, fully aware that he couldn't thank her properly. The house smelled absolutely divine, the scents of a huge holiday dinner permeating the house. In fact, as they were let inside, Kurt spied a uniformed, rather round, grey-haired woman setting an elaborately decorated holiday table in the dining room adjacent to the entryway. It was set for a large family gathering, easily twelve to fourteen chairs around the table, and there were silver cloches covering large platters, which were evenly placed across the surface of the massive dining set. Kurt looked at the two people before him and wondered where the other dinner guests were hiding.

They were beckoned into the huge entry foyer by the small woman, who had been joined by her husband, while the club sang their version of a holiday classic. She was obviously a fan of music as she bobbed her head in time with the song and smiled as if the carolers were the best thing to have happened to her all day long. Midway through _Oh Tanenbaum_ , a door upstairs opened and a younger man made his way to the top of the stairs, smiling brightly. Kurt instantly thought the man looked familiar, but couldn't place him. He continued mouthing the words and swayed with Mercedes in the back to their practiced, minimal choreography, if one could even call it that. They'd been aware that space would be limited, and just wanted to spice it up enough that they didn't look like singing lumps on a log.

The young man was tall, almost as tall as Finn, and he descended the stairs with grace as he watched them all sing.

"Oh, Cooper!" the woman exclaimed. "Where's your brother? He'd enjoy this so much!" she said, then glanced up the stairs again.

"I think he just got out of the shower, actually. I'm sure he'll be down as soon as he hears the singing," he answered. "In fact, I can almost guarantee he'll want to join them," he teased. Kurt took a minute to study the man as the group began a third song, sure that he'd seen him somewhere before. He looked so familiar, yet Kurt couldn't put a finger on where he might have made his acquaintance.

They continued to sing, as none of them were ready or willing to go back out in the cold. About halfway through their tour of the neighborhood, the wind had picked up a bit and it was now howling outside making it seem that much colder than it truly was.

They decided on one more song, _Silent Night_ , and then they'd be on their way. If this lady wanted her other son to hear them, she had better get his butt down to the foyer. Nobody wanted to wear out their welcome and they were also anxious to get back to the Hummel's house to watch movies and eat cookies.

One verse in and another door on the upstairs landing opened. Kurt could see the door, but not who had walked out of it quite yet. They sang on, most of them probably not even noticing, but Kurt absolutely did, especially when the woman's other son made his way to the top of the stairs.

Kurt's body nearly seized and he temporarily forgot he was supposed to draw in air in order to function. Oh God. Oh God, please no…please, please no…just stay up there, please. Kurt let his eyes fall closed in silent prayer to a deity he was still pretty uncertain about. As the boy grinned and sauntered down the stairs, Kurt caught Rachel's eyes widening and she abandoned all dignity and turned to him with a smile that was equal parts devious and excited. Kurt subtlety shook his head no but she was undeterred. He was certain he was just about to be embarrassed to within an inch of his life. Glancing quickly behind him, Kurt estimated that the door wasn't too far and he could surely make a quick exit and get to his car before the rest of the group could realistically get Artie out of the house, off the front stoop and down the street into the van. He'd be safe, for sure.

Kurt glanced around nervously, ready to make a break for it. At the last minute he took one, last look at the Warbler's front man and caught the boy staring at him, his mouth slightly open and his eyes a little wider than they were when he'd first come down. The little, upturned tilt to his lips was the sweetest thing Kurt had ever seen. He couldn't get over how unbelievably adorable the guy was, but he wasn't about to stick around and let the whole glee club make a laughing stock of him in front of their competition.

As inconspicuously as possible, Kurt ducked down a bit and backed toward the door slowly, keeping his eyes on beautiful Blaine Anderson as he did so. Blaine looked a bit panicked, and was clearly about to say something when Kurt felt his hand hit the door. He found the doorknob and twisted and was met with complete and utter chaos as he did.

As the door swung inward, a group of at least six, festively dressed, excited children shoved past Kurt, two huge dogs hot on their heels. Behind them were two adults who were smiling brightly with bags of gifts, bottles of spirits and covered dishes.

"We're here!" the man exclaimed, eyes widening in confusion and surprise when he realized he had no idea who this young man was who'd opened the door for them. The foyer was filled with teenaged strangers and everyone was suddenly bunched in an area that should have been spacious, but was now filled to capacity. To make things worse, one of the dogs was making a bee-line toward the fantastic aroma in the dining room, carolers be damned, and he had to get past Artie to do so.

The chaos was instantaneous. Artie saw the dog headed his way and quickly wheeled his chair backward, rolling over Puck's foot. Puck let out a yelp and doubled over, grabbing hold of the handles on Artie's chair and shoving it away from him and off of his foot. Unfortunately, he shoved Artie into Finn, who's knees buckled sending him sprawling. He stumbled forward a step or two, taking out Sam and Santana in the process, then grabbed for anything to keep himself upright. He had hoped to grab hold of the corner of the table, instead only getting a handful of beautiful green and red tablecloth as he toppled, yanking half of the dinnerware and serving platters full of food onto himself and the floor. The dogs instantly zeroed in on the turkey, which was perched perilously on the edge of the table. They bombarded their way through the remaining New Directions, sending them all tumbling like bowling pins while the Andersons watched in horror.

Everyone was scrambling around trying desperately to regain some sort of control of the dogs, one of which was gnawing on the turkey that was now under the dining room table after losing its battle with gravity and plunking onto Finn's belly. The other dog was nosing through a pile of mashed potatoes at the base of the Christmas tree, which had been knocked sideways and now leaned at an alarming angle onto the china hutch. The gravy was a permanent part of the previously beautiful rug beneath the dining set.

"Oh God…" was all Kurt could manage to wheeze out, his eyes filling with wetness as he took in the once picture-perfect Christmas Eve which was now a complete and utter holiday disaster worthy of Youtube.

Food was splattered everywhere. The dogs had devoured the vast majority of the Christmas Eve dinner and the New Directions were at the center of the debacle. Despite the utter despair on the grey-haired woman's face when she took in the scene, Cooper was sitting on the bottom of the staircase, bent in two, laughing his ass off.

"Oh my GOD, this is the best Christmas Eve EVER in the history of Anderson Christmases!" he bellowed, face bright with mirth. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson just stared, mouths gaping, at the remnants of their perfect holiday dinner and said not a single word. The teenagers had righted themselves and were once again standing in the foyer staring around in absolute awe, and Kurt…Kurt stood near the door completely gobsmacked at what had transpired.

Just when Kurt thought things couldn't get any weirder, Blaine snorted and yelled out "Bumpuses!" at the top of his lungs, causing everyone to turn to look at him in confusion…and then it all made sense. First Sam snorted, trying to keep in his laughter, then Brittany followed with her own chuckle, and asked Blaine if he had homemade bunny pajamas. Not to be outdone, Santana stated that she was certain there was a fishnet clad leg lamp somewhere in one of the windows. One by one, the crazy scene creeped into everyone's memory and they all began to snicker. Cooper sat on the stairs, still holding his stomach, but now repeatedly saying "fra-geeee-layyyy…it must be Italian!" over and over.

Still shocked and upset at the scene, Kurt finally made a hasty but stealthy retreat and snuck out the front door. He'd made it to the end of the nextdoor neighbor's driveway before he heard someone calling his name.

"Kurt! Hey…Kurt! Wait up!"

Kurt looked behind him and his eyes went wide. Blaine Anderson was skidding down the slick driveway at a quick pace and he was in hot pursuit of Kurt. He picked up the pace and headed for his Navigator which was now only about fifty feet away.

"Holy shit, your legs have to be even longer than they look in those fantastic jeans…for God's sake, Kurt, please stop!" Blaine yelled, trying to catch up. With a deep breath, Kurt stopped dead in his tracks but didn't turn around.

"Oh, thank you…" Blaine huffed, jogging toward him without so much as a sweater, let alone a coat. "Why are you running away? We were just getting the festivities started in there, obviously," Blaine chuckled.

Kurt opened his mouth to speak, to apologize profusely, but of course, nothing came out. He let his eyes fall shut and shook his head, unsure what he could possibly say to make up for the disaster inside anyway.

"Do you speak?" Blaine teased. "Hey…really, are you ok? I mean, nobody's mad, so please don't think that. My parents are pretty laid back and they've already asked Karen to just order up some Chinese food. You should stay, ya know? They'll order a ton, and I promise this night will be so freaking much better if you stick around…hey," he said again, concerned and staring at a still silent Kurt. "You ok?"

Kurt merely shook his head, still embarrassed, still moritified and still unable to speak. With a deep breath, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and tapped on it, then pointed at Blaine as if to ask if he had one as well. Blaine reached for his back pocket and pulled his own phone out.

"You want me to call someone? I can do that, but…seriously, are you ok? Why aren't you talking to me? I know you can speak…I mean…sheez, I've seen the videos and the live version, Kurt. Your voice is…wow…stunning, ok? You don't have to be shy with me. I'm just…me. I won't yell or anything."

Kurt reached for Blaine's phone, but realized there was a pin for it and handed it back, frustrated. He then tapped his own phone a few times, pulled up his messaging app and handed the phone to Blaine with the contacts screen up. He pointed to Blaine, then to the phone, and handed it to the beautiful boy before him.

"You want my number? I would've just given it to you," Blaine grinned, then winked at him, which nearly made Kurt swoon. Lord, but this boy was beautiful. Kurt let the first grin escape and felt his cheeks turn pink. Blaine typed in his phone number and handed the phone back to Kurt.

 **Kurt:** I lost my voice yesterday, but Mercedes…my friend…she insisted I come with everyone and not leave her to deal with Rachel alone.

Blaine felt his phone buzz and keyed in his pin to check the message. His smile lit up half the street. He looked up to meet Kurt's eyes and shook his head. Thumbs working like crazy, he texted back.

 **Blaine:** I'm sorry you lost your voice, Kurt…but if the outcome is the fact that I have your contact information now…well, I'm not sorry about that at all. I wanted to talk to you at Sectionals last year, but the Warblers said you were a distraction…and that I had to wait until after the competition. By then you guys were out the door and on your bus and I'd lost my chance. Your social media is pretty locked down, too.

Kurt saw the message pop up and sucked in a surprise breath, then bit his bottom lip to hold in the giddy giggle that would have tried to escape…if any sound could have escaped at all. Shyly, Kurt examined the ground at his feet and smiled widely when Blaine ducked into his line of vision and smiled back at him.

"I've wanted to talk to you for a while now, Kurt. I hope you'll come back inside and…I dunno…stay for a little while? Seriously, I bet my parents ordered enough food for an army, and they will insist that you all stay for dinner. Anderson family Christmases are always…less than fun, let's just put it that way. My Dad's brother is a stick in the mud, his kids are obnoxious and as you can see, they insist on bringing those ridiculous dogs everywhere with them. You have made one of the most anxiety ridden nights of the year so much better, Kurt. Please come inside with me? If not because you want some fried rice, then because my eyeballs are actually freezing in their sockets," he laughed.

Kurt rolled his eyes and shook his head, but shrugged and nodded ok.

"Shall we?" Blaine asked, holding out his hand for Kurt to take. "I mean…it's only the gentlemanly thing to do, Kurt. It's a bit slick out here, ya know?"

Hand in hand they walked back to the Anderson's front door. Before Blaine could reach for the handle, Kurt placed a hand on his arm and stopped him. Blaine looked up curiously to see what Kurt was going to…well, obviously not "say", that was for sure.

"Thank you," Kurt mouthed.

"No, really, Kurt. Thank you. This might just be the best Christmas Eve I've ever had. But you know what would make it better?"

Kurt shook his head, curious as to what Blaine would say.

"It would be better if you'd promise to keep that number in your phone and use it tomorrow…or the next day…maybe next week…or all of the above? Coffee would be…nice. But I don't want to be pushy…not at all. I just want to get to know you, Kurt. Can we do that?"

With a pounding heart and a grin that was bigger than any in his recent memory, Kurt nodded an excited yes. Blaine, who was still holding his hand, lifted it to his lips and laid a small peck to the inside of Kurt's wrist with a bashful grin. Kurt wouldn't swear to it, but he was pretty sure he heard Blaine mumble something about the best Christmas ever as he swung the door open and led Kurt inside.

"…..and then, four years later, your Daddy asked your Papa to marry him, on his knee, in this very foyer…and Papa said yes. There were no dogs, though, and nobody knocked over the tree that year, either," a smiling Pam Anderson told the three doe-eyed children, who were all snuggled up with her on a sofa in the Anderson living room in matching pajamas.

"Papa say yes?" the smallest one asked, all smiles. She cast a glance across the room at her Daddy and her Papa, grinning wildly at the two men who stood in the doorway, Kurt's arms around Blaine and his chin resting on Blaine's shoulder.

"Papa said yes, and it was the best decision of my life," Kurt murmured in Blaine's ear.

"Going after you that night, after the caroling cluster-fudge…that was the best decision of my life. Thank you for coming back to the house with me."

"Thank you for coming after me," Kurt grinned, watching their three young children sip hot chocolate with their Grammie Anderson.

"I'll always come after you, Kurt. Always."

"Again! Again! Tell a story again!" the dark-haired little boy bellowed, a bright smile on his face.

"How about ' _Twas The Night Before Christmas_ this time?" Pam asked.

"No no, Grammie…want you to tell Daddy's story again. Tell about the dogs and the turkey and fa ra ra ra ra!" the boy laughed as his Grammie tickled his tummy. She rolled her eyes and began the story again.

"One Christmas Eve, not so many years ago, a group of lovely young boys and girls came to Grammie and Grampie's house to sing songs. One boy, in particular, had a very lovely voice, but he couldn't sing that evening. Your Daddy thought he was the most beautiful boy he'd ever seen…" she went on.

"And he still does," Blaine murmured, turning to kiss Kurt's cheek. "Merry Christmas, Kurt."

"Merry Christmas, Blaine."


	9. Wrapping Paper

Wrapping Paper

By SenseiGrace

Kurt Hummel loved everything about Christmas. Shopping, singing, decorating, spending time with friends and family, wrapping gifts, the whole nine yards.

But this Christmas season was so busy, Kurt just didn't have time to do the simplest things. He hadn't even had time to bake his mother's sugar cookies.

So here he was, on Christmas Eve, standing in the middle of the mall trying to remember what video game Finn had been dropping (not so subtle) hints about. Honestly, Kurt hasn't realized just how little he knew about Finn.. That would have to be a New Year's resolution.

He sighed, then picked up Halo 2. He was pretty sure he had heard Finn talk about this one before, he was also pretty sure that he hadn't heard Burt and Carole talk about it being one of his Christmas presents.

He grabbed a scarf and necklace for Carole, and a puzzle and book for his dad. In years past he remembered making fudge and buying beef jerky for Burt, but ever since his heart attack, Kurt had ended all of the unhealthy traditions. With the exception of his mother's sugar cookies.

It didn't take long for him to realize that he would never have time to wrap all these gifts in time for tomorrow, and he certainly wasn't going to give his family unwrapped gifts. Never.

He sighed again, then ran his hands through his well-kept chestnut hair.

He would have to do it.

It couldn't be that bad, right?

Right..?

Every bone in his body was against the idea, but he had no other choice, it was just too late.

He would have to pay someone to wrap his gifts.

His mind fought with his idea the whole walk to where a wrapping station had been set up.

No, he was not losing any of his skills or dignity.

No, he didn't have time to wrap when he got home.

Yeah, they probably would spell names wrong on the name tags, but it the thought that counted.

And yes, he definitely should not procrastinate like this next year.

"I'm sorry, ma'am." He heard someone apologize. "I understand that this is wrapped poorly."

Kurt inhaled deeply. This was a bad omen for sure. He just wanted to go home and wrap these...

"I told you to wrap it nicely!" The lady in front of him shouted. "Do you really expect me to pay for this?"

" As a matter of fact, I do, ma'am." The boy who had wrapped the offending present told her. "You asked how much it would cost to have these dog toys wrapped and I told you." Kurt couldn't tell if the boy was nearing tears or if he was just done dealing with this rude customers like this lady.

"My blind dog could wrap better than this!" The lady screamed. "And you think I'm going to pay for that!?" Kurt flinched as the lady slammed her fists on the counter.

The lady grabbed her things, then inhaled deeply. "I don't have time for this." She told the boy, her voice filled with fake anger and dramatics. She reminded Kurt of Rachel.

The defeated boy opened his mouth to say something, then after hesitating for a moment, he sighed. "Merry Christmas." He said.

The lady began to walk away, the boxes that had been wrapped were in her hands. "You ruined my Christmas." She tried to guilt with obviously fake sobs. "I hope you're happy."

Kurt hated petty people like her. The world didn't revolve around her, and it never would. He could feel his anger towards her bubbling in his chest, but after she disappeared in the crowd, he remembered why he was there.

He walked up to the counter, then smiled at the boy who was running it. "Hello!" He said with a grin. "Can I get these wrapped?"

The boy looked at him, his features melting into a frown. "I'm not very good at gift wrapping." He warned, nervously wringing his hands as he watched Kurt unpack the bags onto the counter.

Kurt looked up at him and straight into the boy's glowing brown eyes. They had emerald and golden flecks in them and Kurt wasn't sure how the boy had stolen them from the Goddess of Beauty, but he knew that she probably wanted them back.

"I don't mind." Kurt told him. He knew that the boy was probably trying his hardest and honestly, he knew that there was probably punishment for procrastinating this long. Hopefully he would learn his lesson.

"Well, that's good." The boy said, his words a sigh of relief as he picked up the thin silver necklace that Kurt had found for Carole. "I like actually making money." He joked playfully.

Kurt nodded, he remembered trying to come up with the money for the bus to Regionals. He remembered thinking that they weren't going to make enough money and they would have to forfeit. "What are your raising money for?" He asked.

The boy looked up from where he was fumbling with a roll of ugly green snowflake wrapping paper, but Kurt was more focused on the boy's black ringlets that had worked themselves out of the gelled perfection. That was sexy. Unlike the wrapping paper, the paper needed to be burned. "The Warblers." He answered, then sighed as he put the paper down. "Even though most of us are rich or blue blooded, and we get a lot of money from sponsors and parents, we don't really have the money for the trip to Nationals."

Kurt nodded. "What's your goal?" He asked.

The boy shrugged. "I dunno. Enough to send a bunch of boys to New York, a hotel to stay in while we're there, then the trip home." He told Kurt. "And that doesn't even count the food. Because us boys pig out on good food."

Kurt nodded, then looked down at the gift that had been wrapped. He felt his heart stop.

Maybe a blind dog could wrap better than the boy. The paper was ripped in numerous places, there was way too much tape, and Kurt felt like he could have saved a rain forest if he had just wrapped the gift himself.

The boy caught a glimpse of Kurt's face, then sighed. "Yeah, I know, I should just stick to singing.."

Kurt shook his head. He was certain that he could help this boy. "You just need help." He said matter of factly.

The boy frowned, his bushy eyebrows furrowing together. "Help how?" He asked as he crossed his arms.

Kurt grinned, then stepped behind the counter. "I'm going to teach you how to properly wrap a gift." He declared.

Before the boy could answer, Kurt had already ripped the paper off of the necklace. "Okay, first things first." Kurt said. "Burn that paper. It gives wrapping paper a bad name and it needs to die."

The boy laughed, but Kurt looked over at him. "You think I'm kidding?" He said seriously.

The laughing stopped. "No. Sorry." The boy said.

Kurt pulled out a roll of blue and white wrapping paper. "Always ask what color." He started, then began to cut the paper. " that way they can't complain about that too. "

The boy nodded, then continued to watch as Kurt's nimble hands glide across the paper as he folded it. "How are you so good at this?" He asked, awed as Kurt taped down one of the sides.

Kurt looked up from the gift and grinned. "My mom taught me when I was seven." He told him, then flipped over the box and began to repeat the process . "And I have a ton of practice."

The boy nodded. "You're really good." He said.

Kurt smiled. "Thanks." He said, then picked up a large silver bow, it was literally almost the size of his hand. "Always add a bow." He instructed as he placed the bow on top of the neatly wrapped gift.

"There!" He exclaimed, then handed the boy another one of the gifts. The boy's hands were soft, yet the fingertips had rough calluses on them. "You're turn."

The boy paled, then nodded as he took the video game from Kurt's hands. "Okay." He squeaked.

Kurt smiled as he leaned over the boy's shoulder to watch him wrap the gift. The boy smelled like gingerbread cookies and hot cocoa, which made Kurt feel warm and bubbly inside.

The boy handed him the fully wrapped gift, then smiled bashfully. "Here you go." He said, his cheeks colored with an adorable rosy blush.

Kurt took the gift from his hands. It was messy, and there was still too much tape, but it was much better than his last attempt. It would have to do.

"I'm Blaine by the way." The boy told him, his face lit up with a smile that caused him to look as if he was squinting. It was cute.

Kurt smiled, then held out his hand. "Kurt." He said.

The two boys joked around as Blaine finished wrapping the gifts. They talked about everything, brothers, glee, Christmas traditions, the fact that procrastination would never be a good idea, and Kurt even ended up giving his mother's sugar cookie recipe to Blaine.

After they were finished talking, they swapped phone numbers.

"Excuse me," a voice behind them said, startling both of the boys. "Are you still wrapping gifts?"

Kurt smiled, then nodded as he began grabbing his things. "Yes, and let me tell you, Blaine is the best gift wrapper ever." He said, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder. He grinned as Blaine blushed. "You'd think he was one of Santa's Elves."

Blaine's blush deepened to a dark red. "Kurt!" He squeaked.

Kurt just winked at the boy. "See ya, Blaine!" He said, then walked off.

•••

When Kurt got home, the first thing he was greeted with was the sound of Finn gaming in the living room. But that wasn't really much of a surprise anymore.

"Hey, Finn!" He greeted as he put his gifts under the tree. "Watcha playing?" He asked.

Finn grinned at his brother as he looked up from the game. "Hey, Kurt!" He said, then returned his focus to his game. "Just Halo 2. Not anything I've never played before."

Kurt's eyes widened and he almost dropped the gift that was in his hand. He hoped that his ears were playing a trick on him.

Did he say Halo 2?

As in the game he had just bought for him?

"What's wrong?" Finn asked, then looked up from his game again. "Wanna join?"

Kurt just stood there with his mouth open. Yeah, knowing more about Finn was definitely a New Year's resolution.


	10. Christmas Puppies

Christmas Puppies

By BrightEyes421

It was Blaine and Kurt's first Christmas as husband and husband. They found a cute little house outside of New York City. Kurt was finding success as a fashion designer for Vouge and Blaine's song writing career was taking off. They had talked about getting a dog and now that they had a house with a fenced in back yard they felt that they could start looking for one.

KURT'S POV

Here it is December the 22nd, three days before Christmas and it looks like I may have a chance to get a puppy for Blaine for Christmas. I just got off the phone with Jennifer, one of the girls that works with me at Vouge. She was letting me know that her dog had delivered her puppies on December 13th, and if I wanted to get one for Blaine I could have first pick. I had heard enough stories from Blaine about the puppy he had growing up and could just picture the look on his face when he found out he was getting a puppy for Christmas. Knowing that the puppy would be too young to leave it's mother I planned on taking a picture and putting it in his stocking along with a few puppy things.

Letting Blaine know that I was heading out to run a few last minute errands I headed over to Jennifer's house. Her husband, Jason, was there and they led me to the bedroom where the puppies were located. Jennifer's dog, a beautiful Black Lab was resting with eight of the cutest little puppies sleeping against her side. Four of the puppies looked just like their mom. Two of the puppies looked like a White Lab, and two of the puppies looked like German Shepard puppies. I fell for one of the German Shepard puppies when she made her way over to me and started to nuzzle my hand. I knew that this would be the puppy for Blaine.

I put a red bow around her on the collar that they had around her neck and took a picture of her with my cell phone. I would print a picture off at Walgreens to stick in his stocking. She would be able to come home mid January and between now and then we would have fun going to the pet store and buying her a bed, toys, bowls, and anything else a puppy may need.

Thanking Jennifer I made my way to local pet store and bought a few puppy related things for Blaine's stocking. Oh yeah to make it even a better Christmas the puppy I picked was free, because they could sell as a full blooded Black Lab. I am so excited to see Blaine's face on Christmas morning. He is going to love this little girl.

BLAINE'S POV

I waited until I knew Kurt was out of the house before I pulled out my phone and called Jason, my friend and former Dalton classmate. We had run into each other while out shopping about ten days ago and during small talk and catching up with each other, I mentioned that I was looking for a dog for Kurt, he told me that he and his wife, Jennifer had a Black Lab that was due to give birth any day. Later that day he had called me to let me know that she delivered her puppies that afternoon, if I wanted to I could come by in about ten days to look at them.

I wanted to find out when it would be a good time for me to come look at the puppies. If I found one that I thought Kurt would like I would have the perfect gift for him. But of course with the puppy being so young I would have to take a picture of it for his stocking. I was told I could come by in a couple hours as they had someone else coming now and didn't want to disturb the mom too much.

When I got to Jason's he led me to a back room where the puppies were sleeping. When I entered the room I saw eight of the cutest puppies I have ever seen. The mom was out on a short walk after eating her dinner. He explained that four of the puppies were Black Lap like their mom, but two looked like White Labs and two looked like German Shepard puppies. I noticed that one of the German Shepard puppies had a red bow on her collar. Someone was going to have a great Christmas. I would have gotten the other German Shepard puppy but it was a boy and I wanted a girl.

As I was sitting there looking at the puppies one of the White Lab puppies made her way over to me and nuzzled her head under my hand wanting to be petted. Well she won my heart and I knew she would be perfect for Kurt. Slipping the red collar around her neck I snapped a picture of her for Kurt's stocking.

Imagine my surprise when Jason told me that the puppy was free. They could not sell her as full blooded Black Lab so she was free. I couldn't wait to see the look on Kurt's face on Christmas morning. He was going to be so surprised. I stopped at Target to print off the picture and to grab a few puppy things to put in his stocking. The rest could wait until after Christmas as she could not come home until mid January.

CHRISTMAS MORNING

Christmas morning found Kurt and Blaine sitting by the tree with their stockings in their laps. Because they both wanted the other to go first they decided to go through their stockings at the same time.

On the count of three they opened the envelopes that were sticking out of the sticking. The looks on their faces were priceless when they pulled out the pictures of their puppy. Laughing they pulled out the puppy things that were also in their stocking. Blaine named his puppy Blake , and Kurt named is puppy Maggie. Hugging and kissing each other they knew that this would be one Christmas that they would never forget.

…

A/N Blake and Maggie were my sons dogs. They were 2 and a half and 6 when we put pictures of the dogs in their stockings. Blake was a German Shepard mix while Maggie was a White Lab-Husky mix. Their mother was indeed a full blooded Black Lab and had been bred with another full blooded Black Lab. She had eight puppies just like in my story. And yes they were free. Jason was a friend of my now ex husband's.


	11. Mistletoe Mishaps

Mistletoe Mishaps

By Gleeful Darren Criss Fan

"It that 'Baby It's Cold Outside'?" Jeff grinned at Nick from behind the opened door. "Do you think Blaine will finally get his head out of his ass and tell Kurt how he feels?"

Nick shook his head. "Knowing Blaine, probably not, because he told me a couple days that he thinks Kurt likes somebody. He thought it was Thad. I love Blaine, but he's an idiot."

"Do you see how close their faces just were? The betting pool has reached five hundred dollars. I put my last twenty in there. I was supposed to buy that bracelet my sister wanted. If they don't kiss today, I'm screwed" Jeff sighed.

"The date I picked already passed because I thought they'd hook up after Kurt first transferred here. But-," he paused. "I was thinking, what if it happens today, and you and I split the reward," Nick suggested. 

"Why would I want to do that?"Jeff asked.

"Because David has the date tomorrow, and we will never hear the end of it if he wins," Nick replied, peering through the glass in the window to watch the two boys as they plopped next to one another on the loveseat. "Look, they're grinning like fools, and Kurt is blushing. See how close their faces are to one another."

"Look at Blaine's dopey smile. Come on, Kurt!" Jeff said a little louder than he intended. "Damn it," he swore under his breath. "Blaine's got no game," he said as he crouched behind the door as Blaine got up from the couch and walked out of the room and a man with a sweater vest and curly hair walked in.

"Sorry, man. I think you're out your twenty bucks. Unless-?" Nick grinned, walking away from his best friend. 

"Wait, unless we what?" Jeff questioned, hurrying after his retreating friend. "What?"

"We intervene," Nick answered. "Let's go," he said, rushing down the stairway with his best friend on his heels."

"It's not going to work," Jeff said, rolling his eyes as they walked past the displays of toy trains circling around the Christmas trees and gifts in the center of the mall. "Mistletoe is juvenile. And expensive. I already told you I was broke."

"We just need a few sprigs. And you'll get your money back. This will work. You know how steeped in tradition Blaine is. When he realizes he's under the mistletoe with Kurt, he won't be able to withstand the pressure. Then, they'll kiss and he'll realize what an idiot he has been and they'll get together and we'll both have $250 bucks and gloating rights." Nick answered.

"And if it backfires?." Jeff asked.

"Worst-case scenario, a few Warblers end up kissing each other. If nothing else, it should be fun to watch." Nick grinned.

"You had me at Warblers kissing." Jeff chuckled. "Let's get back to school before Warbler practice so we can hang this up."

David and Wes were the first to fall victim to the plant hanging above their heads in the rehearsal hall. Nick cackled as Jeff snapped a picture of the awkward peck that followed.

"Real mature, boys," David said, rolling his eyes. "Was this your idea?"

"Of course not," Jeff said crossing his fingers behind his back. "Why would I ever do such a thing?"

"Because you're kind of an ass?" David replied. "And it's your day for the Klaine kissing pool,"

"You know the bet is invalid if you get involved." Wes reminded them with a stern look.

"Oh please. Like you didn't try to get them to kiss after sectionals. That's the reason you pretended you didn't know what was wrong with Pavarotti when Kurt was panicked over it."

"They were close too. I swear, there must be a touch quota Blaine has for Kurt or something," Wes said, shaking his head.

"I know he is more affectionate than some, but it's like they are tethered together or something," David said

Wes shook his head. "We need to take this down. Besides Blaine, Trent, Kurt, and you guys, everyone else is straight. Don't you remember the mishap last year when someone suggested spin-the-bottle? It could get really ugly."

"It couldn't be any uglier than the face you made when you looked up and saw the mistletoe. I got the proof right here. I pity the ladies that have to kiss those faces," Jeff teased. At that moment, Thad and Trent stepped under the doorway as Jeff chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Thad asked, looking puzzled as he stood still in the doorway.

"Look up, Buttercup," Nick laughed.

"What?" Trent asked, glancing upward and catching sight of the sprig hanging above them. "Oh, very funny boys."

"It's tradition, boys, and you know how everyone is about tradition here at Dalton. Pucker up," Nick laughed.

Trent turned and kissed a blushing Thad on the cheek. "There. So, let me guess, one of you picked today. Good luck. My day was weeks ago. I doubt something as simple as mistletoe will do the trick," he said stepping out of the doorway and walking over to the council's table.

"It worked for you and Thad, and Wes and David too," Jeff grinned. "See," Jeff said, scrolling back to the photos he captured of the two Warbler Council members.

"Hey guys," Blaine called, striding through the doorway. "What's going on?"

Jeff put his phone back into his pocket. "Nothing. Where's Kurt?"

"Oh, his dad called. He told me to tell you guys he'll be here a few minutes late. Is that mistletoe?" Blaine asked, glancing up at the doorway.

"Yeah. You should have seen it. David and Wes had some pretty hot lip action going a few minutes ago," Jeff laughed.

"Maybe it may come in handy with your good pal Kurt," Nick said, placing his hand on Blaine's shoulder.

Blaine shook his head. "I can't guys. I refuse to be like his bully and force a kiss on him."

"Wait, what do you mean?" David asked.

"Kurt's bully, Karofsky forced kissed Kurt at his school and then threatened him if he told anyone. That's why he's here. I can't do that to him."

Wait, so that's the reason you haven't kissed him yet?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, I like him guys. I really do, but if he likes me, he'll have to make the first move because I never want to do anything to hurt him. Take it down guys, please," Blaine asked sincerely.

"Fine, you can take it down, if you have to be so noble about it."

Blaine carried a chair over to the doorway. "Besides, I'm not encouraging you guys and your future gambling addictions," he teased.

"Wait, you know about that?" Nick blurted.

"Of course I do. It's not like you guys have been covert about it. I mean, Jeff and Nick were snooping earlier when Kurt and I were rehearsing earlier. Which one of you chose today?"

Jeff raised his hand sheepishly. "Here, I'll help you take it down, shorty." Jeff started to walk over to the doorway when he heard a familiar, high-pitched voice.

"Is that mistletoe?" Kurt asked, looking up above his head.

"Yeah, the guys thought they'd play a prank until they realized that they'd have to kiss each other. I'm just taking it down," Blaine explained.

"Boo," Kurt pouted. "That might have been fun."

"Wait, what do you m-"

"Ok Warblers. It's 4:00. Time for this meeting to begin," Wes said banging his gavel against the table.

"Well, that was a total bust," Jeff said as he plopped down on his bed. "I thought for sure that would work."

"Either way, it was still fun. I mean, you got some great photographs of David and Wes. I mean, if nothing else, you can use them to convince Cathy that Wes is gay. That was pretty funny when we talked Lisa into believing Thad was gay after the spin-the-bottle pictures surfaced, you know, accidentally." Nick laughed. "So what are you going to do about your sister's gift."

"Can I borrow twenty bucks?" Jeff laughed.

Nick grabbed his wallet and tossed a twenty at his friend.

 _In the next room_

"So mistletoe," Kurt laughed as he laid beside Blaine on his bed. "I'd say they are getting pretty desperate."

Blaine leaned in and kissed Kurt delicately on his forehead. "Jeff showed me pictures. It was pretty funny. Are we ever gonna tell them?"

"Yep, on December 17,"

Blaine had a look of confusion spread across his face. "What's December 17?"

"The date I picked. Did you know the pool is up to $500?" Kurt laughed. "I'm hoping it doubles. I could really use the money for Christmas. So what did you do to the mistletoe you took down?"

"Oh that. It's around here somewhere," Blaine chuckled, pulling it out of his pant pocket and rolling toward the brunette. "Gosh your lips look delicious," Blaine sang playfully, holding the plant above them.

"Then kiss me, you doofus," Kurt teased, crashing his lips into Blaine's.

 **Author's Notes: Merry Christmas you guys. I hope you enjoyed this.**


End file.
